The allies are trapped on Mistmurk Mountain and the God-Emperor guards every way of escape.
There's only one chance left: for demure little Maelys to confess to a crime she has not committed, though if she does it must turn her friends against her. And even if they can escape through the perilous shadow realm, the God-Emperor's armies will hunt them to the ends of the world.
Nish, Flydd and Maelys have no choice but to trek to the Tower of a Thousand Steps, on the frozen Isle of Noom. There they must seek aid from the implacable sorcerer who has controlled the world for an unknown but terrible purpose for more than a century – the Numinator.
But on that tragic journey they will uncover a deadly secret, a folly that has been shaping life and death in the Three Worlds for over three thousand years, and now threatens to consume them all.
You won't want to miss this 'unflaggingly inventive' fantasy series by million-selling author Ian Irvine.
What reviewers say about the Three Worlds books
"A compelling adventure in a landscape full of wonders." – Locus
"A page-turner of the highest order . Formidable!" – SFX on Geomancer
"It is the most engrossing book I've read in years." – Van Ikin, Sydney Morning Herald
"Readers of Eddings, Goodkind and Jordan will lap this one up." – Starlog
"Utterly absorbing." Stephen Davenport, Independent Weekly
"For sheer excitement, there's just no one like Irvine." SFX on The Destiny of the Dead
"As good as anything I have read in the fantasy genre." – Adelaide Advertiser
Reviews of The Song of the Tears trilogy
"Hang on with both hands, because this story waits for no one." Sandy Auden, SFX on The Fate of the Fallen.
"The final payoff is fantastic. The most unflaggingly inventive storyteller we've seen in years." Sydney Morning Herald on The Destiny of the Dead
'Unbelievably, Irvine has managed to increase the pace of his story in this third and final volume – for sheer excitement, there's just no one like Irvine around at the moment.' SFX on The Destiny of the Dead.
'This precise and beautifully crafted novel blooms from its ascetic opening to a resonant and rewarding climax. Makes what's currently available on fantasy shelves seem hackneyed and formulaic. Utterly absorbing." Stephen Davenport, Independent Weekly