Harrowgark Nonadjesimus was chosen by the Emperor to fight a war that cannot be won. Facing a rival she cannot stand, Harrow must hone her skills to perfection. Yet the health of the Ninth Houses last necromancer is failing, her sword makes her sick, and her own mind threatens to betray her. Nothing is as it seems in the Emperors halls. Left in the dark with unfriendly mentors, haunted by the mad ghost of a slain planet, Harrowgark must find answers to two unwelcome questions...
Raised by vicious, heartless nuns, ancient vassals, and countless skeletons of the Ninth House, Gideon is ready to leave her life of slavery and death as a reanimated corpse behind. She takes her sword, her dirty magazines, and prepares for a daring escape. However, her childhood enemy will not let Gideon go so easily. The reverend daughter of the Ninth House, the talented necromancer Harrowgark Nonajesimus, has received an invitation from the emperor himself. She, along with...
