War Comes For Those Who Forge It. And It Never Forgives... Haltveldt is a nation built on bloodshed. With the Order of Sparkers brought to heel, Emperor Locke wields his mages - and their magic the Spark - like a weapon as he wages a war of genocide. But the enemies of his empire multiply. In the almost-forgotten north, the ancient citadel of Solitude, filled with two-hundred exiled Sparkers, watches over the mysterious Banished. With a new apprentice under her wing, Zanna Alpenwood pines for her estranged daughter when everything changes - for the first time in centuries, The Banished are on the move. Miles away in Haltveldt's southern frontlines, Calene Alpenwood makes a startling discovery in the most unlikely of places and her estrangement from her mother is tested. As is her faith in the Order of Sparkers and loyalty to the Empire. And in Haltveldt's capital, Kade Besem - whose son Arlo is training with Zanna - scrambles to react to the events at Solitude in a den of vipers. Haltveldt is an empire forged in fire and nothing is at it seems. But one thing is certain: with the Banished returning, and the elves to the south on the brink of annihilation, Zanna, Calene and Kade stand on the brink of earth-shattering change. A great game, millennia in the making, is coming to its stunning conclusion. Who will survive? And who is the true enemy of Haltveldt? 'In Solitude's Shadow: Extended Edition' - now with all new chapters, expanded scenes and including the prequel 'Before The Shadow', reveals all... The magic of 'The Wheel of Time' meets the grittiness of 'The Witcher' in this fast-paced series starter!