Grave forces are converging to seize control of the Book of Thoth, a hidden artifact whose pages hold the key to creating - or unraveling - the very threads of existence. Under the care and tutelage of Cooper, Rowan's lethal Agent, Max McDaniels and David Menlo embark on a quest to protect the Book from the demon Astaroth, who would exploit its secrets with dire consequences. And with Astaroth free after centuries of imprisonment, the world outside Rowan's gates has already become hostile: dark things scratch at windows, simmering rivalries are renewed, and governments fall one by one. Far from home, cut off behind enemy lines, Max and his allies must journey across Europe, descend into the fabled Frankfurt Workshop, brave the tangled corners of the Black Forest . . . and ultimately cross beyond the veils of our world.