Synopsis: From the back cover of the first DAW printing: Magic-born - Kidnapped by desert raiders at the age of five, Amant - gifted from birth with the powers of enchantment, blessed with a musical magic and with an ability for shape-changing - begins a lifelong odyssey that may, if he survives its many perils, change the destiny of his world. Stolen from his new raider family and sold into slavery in a city ruled by priest-musicians, Amant begins to develop his magical talents. But, sent by his master to receive further training at the finest Academy of Music, he unexpectedly embarks on a journey into his own past. For at the Academy, where a terrifying plague has left few survivors, Amant discovers his cherished cousin Osei, who had been like a little sister to him many years ago. Osei is caught in a powerful spell, hovering on the brink between life and the seductive realm of Lord Death. And only if Amant masters his own powers - under the tutelage of the Servitor once known as Snow-Eyes - can he hope to lure his cousin along the pathway back to the land of the living.