At Great Court on Zirrus, the King dies and his wife is delivered of a stillborn child-or so the World is told. Virrisian, the King's half-sister, ascends the throne. Shaeli and her family of traders are heading to Cave. Her mother has delivered twins-or so the World is told. Traders fly through the Lands on ships slung beneath enormous patterned balloons, and as the Wintering covers the Lands, the Fleet take shelter at Cave. As Shaeli grows, she discovers she has a gift for stone-channeling, a gift usually given to elves. But when she is apprenticed, she must leave her family and live in the shadow of Great Court and Queen Virrisian. As Shaeli learns more about her gift, this shadow grows darker over the Land, and it is only a matter of time before it covers everyone and everything she loves. Fans of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings will be intrigued by Shaeli's story, and will look forward to the rest of this debut series by R.L.Aiken