Ahoy there me mateys!  This is a new series set several centuries after the events in the Empire of the Wolf trilogy.  While this series can be read separately, I think it is a much richer experience reading the trilogy first.  There is a trickle down effect where having history of the previous Empire helps explain the politics and opinions of the current regime.

This book has three points-of-view.  The first is Renata, the junior ambassador to the the Stygion Merfolk.  She and her boss are often ridiculed because most people don't believe the Merfolk even exist.  The second is a lieutenant named Peter who has been sent to the fringes of the Empire.  An unknown phenomenon is killing the soldiers and driving men mad.  Poor Peter is sent out to investigate.  The last viewpoint is Von Oldenburg, a man who is out for himself.

The contention in this book is due to the prophecy of the Great Silence which could lead to doom for the whole world.  All three characters become involved in different ways.  I found Renata's time with the Merfolk to be wonderfully weird and exciting.  Their culture is fascinating.  Peter's timeline is a close second because he does not have the best luck and he is fighting his own fears.  Von Oldenburg is, well, dislikeable if interesting.

Book one is very much a set up with very few answers but the hints about where book two is headed make me wish I had a copy now.  Arrrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.