One hundred years have passed since the fiery Cataclysm that changed the face of Krynn forever. For one hundred years, the people of Krynn have struggled to survive. But for some, those one hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. Catapulted forward in time by Raistlin’s powerful magic, Caramon and Crysania find themselves aiding the mage’s unholy quest to master the Queen of Darkness. To his dismay, Raistlin discovers along the way that the annals of Time are not so easily bent to his will. Neither are the longings of his heart.

The Portal to the Abyss has been discovered, and the path to godhood lies within Raistlin’s grasp. But before he can face the Queen of Darkness, Raistlin must secure the strength and knowledge to survive the journey—and that means mastering the mortal world one final time. He chooses a battleground from history: the era following the Cataclysm, a time of anarchy, ruin, and the fall of empires.

Alongside him is Crysania, still recovering from the divine assault that left her broken in body but tethered to Raistlin’s ambition. She remains torn between her desire to save his soul and her growing fear of what he is becoming. With her as both companion and tool, Raistlin returns to the shattered Dwarfgate Wars, where magic, power, and legend converge in blood and betrayal.

Caramon, Raistlin’s twin brother, has changed. No longer the hollow drunkard seen in Time of the Twins, he is once again a warrior—strong of body, but now tempered by wisdom and purpose. His love for his brother remains, but so too does the grim realization that Raistlin’s path may doom all of Krynn. Tasked with watching over Tasslehoff Burrfoot, whose very presence in the past endangers the fabric of time, Caramon plays a reluctant part in Raistlin’s plan while seeking a way to stop it.

They arrive in the devastated land of Zhaman, where Raistlin intends to unlock the secrets of the ancient fortress and remake it into a citadel worthy of a god. But Zhaman is more than just ruins—it is a place scarred by ambition and haunted by the ghosts of Fistandantilus, the infamous archmage whose essence now shares Raistlin’s soul. As Raistlin fights to dominate the magic and memory of the dead wizard, his grip on reality—and on his own humanity—begins to slip.

Outside the fortress, war brews once more. The dwarves of Thorbardin face rebellion from the plainsmen and former slaves who seek refuge and justice. Raistlin uses the conflict to his advantage, manipulating both sides to serve his ends. But not all battles are won with magic, and when the conflict erupts into chaos, the consequences are catastrophic.

The novel reaches its climax as Raistlin unleashes his power in a moment of terrifying grandeur, destroying the fortress in a magical cataclysm that mirrors the one that shattered Krynn centuries before. In the aftermath, Caramon and Tasslehoff escape—barely—while Crysania, gravely wounded and spiritually adrift, is taken by Raistlin through the Portal. There, in the threshold of the Abyss, the final trial awaits.