Rudi Mackenzie ventures to post-apocalyptic Nantucket, where he discovers a beautifully made sword waiting for him in the only house that remains standing, and taking possession of it, realizes that nothing will ever be the same.

Rudi McKenzie--now Artos, the High King of Montival--must fulfill his destiny. He wields the sword crafted for him before he was born. He has made friends of his enemies. He has won the heart of the woman he loves. And now he must defeat the forces of the Church Universal and Triumphant, knowing he may lose his life in the final battle.