The gods are gone, long ago trapped in stones and lost to the ages. A godless nation rises to power, fueled by a brilliant and genocidal dictator who is willing to manipulate souls and embrace dark magics to spread his empire over the whole of the Five Lands. Kenton is the last of his people, desperately searching for others who can aid in his quest to unearth the gods from their hiding places and restore goodness and order to the world. As Kenton gathers together the legendary godbearers-who are said to be able to retrieve the gods, wherever they lie-he finds an unlikely ally in Daniella, the daughter of the dictator himself. Daniella is tired of being her father's puppet, all too eager to be out of his grasp. But as they travel together, Kenton begins to suspect she may be something far more dangerous than a dictator's pawn. Instead, she may be his most deadly weapon.