Once shunned as a Misfit for the powers that set her apart, Elspeth Gordie has finally found happiness and love. But when she receives the long-awaited summons to begin her final quest, she must slip out in the night and leave all that she loves behind without saying a single goodbye. Elspeth sets off across the toxic Blacklands with the help of a pack of mutant wolves to find the ancient weapons that once loosed chaos and death upon the world. Those weapons have begun to stir. . . .

In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. And for Elspeth Gordie, it is also dangerous. That's because Elspeth has a secret: she is a Misfit, born with mysterious mental abilities that she must keep hidden under threat of death. And her worries only multiply when she is exiled to the mountain compound known as Obernewtyn, where—for all her talents—Elspeth may finally and truly be out of her depth. Then she learns she’s not the only one concealing secrets at Obernewtyn.

In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. But for Elspeth Gordie, born with enhanced mental abilities, it is also dangerous. Survival is only by secrecy and so she determines never to use her forbidden powers. But it is as if they have their own imperative and she is brought to the attention of the totalitarian Council that rules the Land. Banished to the remote mountain institution of Obernewtyn, she must throw off her cloak of concealment and pit herself against those that would resurrect the terrible forces of the apocalypse. Only then will she learn most truly who and what she is . . . Elspeth is determined to uncover the plot and so, accompanied only by her cat, Maruman, embarks on a terrible adventure full of danger, the conclusion to which promises not just uncertainty about her safety but also that of many around her.

Friend becomes foe and trust is a thing of the past when the Misfits’ most relentless enemy turns Elspeth’s world upside down. Through coercion and mind control, Ariel stands on the cusp of his ultimate revenge—and it falls to Elspeth to rescue a former ally whose mind and body have been manipulated to unleash a plague that will destroy all it touches.

The eighth book in the epic series the Obernewtyn Chronicles is full of romance, action, and suspense. Fans of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series will rejoice to see such a breathtakingly elaborate YA fantasy series! After years spent struggling to balance her desires with her responsibilities, Elspeth Gordie has fully embraced her role as the Seeker. Battle-scarred and haunted by memories of her beloved Rushton, she must continue her final quest to find and stop the computermachine Sentinel from unleashing the deadly Balance of Terror arsenal. But although she has long prepared for this day, nothing is as she anticipated. Elspeth’s search will take her where she never thought to go, and give her stranger companions than any she ever imagined. And it will test her, as she has never been tested before. Award-winning author Isobelle Carmody continues the story of Elspeth Gordie, a heroine in the vein of Tamora Pierce’s most memorable and empowering characters. “A major work of fantastic imagination.” —Lloyd Alexander, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

Presents an omnibus edition of books five and six in the dystopian fantasy, in which Elspeth Gordie is drawn into the heart of her enemies and uncovers a devastating plot brewing.

When a Misfit is kidnapped, Elspeth finds she has little choice but to join the growing rebellion against the Council. Her extraordinary mental powers could tip the scales of the struggle, but Elspeth feels torn between toppling the corrupt authoritarian regime and seeking clues vital to a more personal quest—her ambition to destroy what remains of the Beforetime weaponmachines.