A young woman has died, but death is not the end. The afterlife is not as promised. Daemons plague the lands, ravaging whole villages in voracious raids. The Wise Man struggles to maintain order. Those who protect his domain uphold a set of rules, known as the Greyheart Accord. The balance of power is maintained by his cherished peoples, the Greys. The Greys are born in the image of mankind, but they are not wholly human; their souls do not wield magick. Only the Twice-born, those who have died and passed into these lands, hold this great power. Most Greys look to the Wise Man for guidance, but others have gathered in militant sects who defy him. With nothing but fleeting memories and visions, the young Twice-born must find her way. What is the Wise Man planning? Why does she dream of an impossible black lake? And why does everyone she meets keep calling her 'Joan of Arc'?