Bethany is a minstrel with a heart full of adventure, a would-be hero determined to find a missing boy from the town of Llyne, and a friend to all woodland critters. But mostly the dead ones, because Bethany is also a necromancer. She's out to prove her magic isn't evil, and she'll need the help of a hot-headed, sword-swinging mercenary named Elissar-that is, she'll need the help of a friend.