partially overlaps that of Deadhouse Gates. Prologue and Raraku Felisin Paran, the youngest sister of Ganoes Paran, a protagonist of the preceding novel, and Empress Laseen's new Adjunct Tavore Paran, is caught up in a cull of the nobility by Laseen, who is intent on removing rival centers of power. Felisin makes acquaintance with Baudin, a thug, and Heboric, an excommunicated High Priest of Fener, a war god, who has been punished by the removal of his hands. The three are sent to an otataral mine off the coast of the continent of the Seven Cities, where Felisin offers her body to the slaves’ self-appointed leader Beneth in exchange for protection for the trio, and becomes addicted to narcotic durhang. Meanwhile, Icarium, a half-Jaghut immortal inventor and warrior whose wantonly destructive past has been removed from his memory to protect the world, travels in the company of Mappo Runt, a Trell warrior, who is secretly charged with monitoring and, ultimately, controlling Icarium's rage. The two are caught up in a battle between and amongst Soletaken and D’ivers, shapeshifters who can take the form of one other beast or many beasts, respectively, to follow the Path of Hands to Tremorlor, an Azath House in the Holy Desert Raraku, that may offer Ascendency and ultimately godhood. The two make their way through the battle to shelter in the temple of Iskaral Pust, a High Priest of Shadow, who may be mad. Meanwhile, the Wickan warleader Coltaine takes command of the Malazan Empire's 7th Army, with orders to escort Malazan civilians in the Seven Cities to the imperial continental capital in Aren, hundreds of leagues away, on foot, to protect them from the expected rebellion of the Seven Cities under the inspiration of Sha’ik, a prophetess in the Holy Desert Raraku. The continent's High Fist, Pormqual, refuses a naval convoy, preferring to shelter in Aren itself. The Imperial Historian, Duiker, accompanies the 7th. Meanwhile, Fiddler, Kalam, Crokus, and Apsalar (formerly Sorry), following the events of Gardens of the Moon, land in Ehrlitan, one of the Seven Cities. Their original mission was to return Apsalar to her home village, but Kalam and Fiddler now plan to kill the Empress to check her growing power by using the Seven Cities’ Rebellion as a way for Kalam to work his way to her. Fiddler meets a Tano Spiritwalker, a mage who uses song to work spells,