Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, & selfishly used them to increase their own wealth & influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, & they are prohibited from holding power. But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, & mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, & he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, & his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft offers a hint of greater magics within - magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate & grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, & if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.
