When Andrixine falls ill and spends the winter recovering at Snowy Mount--a community of holy folk, scholars and healers--she never dreams it will be the first step of an adventure destined to change her life...When she seeks a weapon to rescue her kidnapped mother, she's chosen by the mystical Spirit Sword to lead in the defense of Reshor against its ancient enemy. First, she must rescue her mother and uproot treachery from within her own castle and family. The friends she gathers along the way become her closest allies and supporters. When friendship with a young warrior turns into something more, she's the most surprised.