When a hero sets off to find his princess, he expects a fairytale ending - but Tepper twists the archetypes to make this fabulous fable all her own.

Atop a twisting, canyon-climbing road, a witch lurks in a fortress built strong enough to keep out dragons and ogres. In an enchanted village, a young orphan is maturing into a beautiful woman. A young man seeks adventure in the big city after running away from his family and their small farm. Now a strange and terrible prophecy will set off a chain of events that will bring these three together, in a tale of heroism, romance and an age-old battle.

But this is not the fantasy world you expect. The Place of Power is manned by strange, robotic creatures who leak radiation. The Archetypal Village knows what is expected of it, as do the inhabitants. In the city, gangs battle with guns and bombs. And the prophecy may lead to death for all.

Prequel to the widely-acclaimed THE WATERS RISING, this is a powerful and engrossing fantasy tale from Sheri S. Tepper.