Synopsis: From the flaps of the Del Rey first edition dust jacket: The River flowed through all the land, deep and unstoppable, a god in his own right. Hid head was in the mountains; his arms embraced the outlands; his body lay at the core of all the civilized realms; his legs stretched on to the distant sea. Dark and sluggish, he rolled unchallenged, dreaming his own invincible might and glory into stark reality. Everywhere he touched, the River God held dominion. And in Nhol, the fabled city at the heart of the world, an emperor ruled as the living aspect of the god, presiding over the splendors and intrigues of a prosperous land and a glittering court. Hezhi was an imperial princess; her blood carried the seeds of the River's power. When her favorite cousin disappeared, Hezhi searched throughout the sumptuous palace with its ghosts and priests, giants and courtiers, and frightening creatures of wizardry. And the magic within her began to grow; soon it must attract dangerous attention. Hezhi's anxious quest ripened into a desperate fight for her own life - a battle she could not hope to win alone. Small wonder that the princess wished for a hero. And far away, a hero's journey began... Perkar was a chieftain's son from the distant highlands. Because he had loved unwisely, he had sworn to slay the dreadful River God. Because he was a man of honor, he set off to fulfill his rash vow, even at the cost of his life. But Perkar's mission had scarcely begun when unrelenting forces propelled him into terrible dangers among dangerous friends and deadlier foes. Even if he should survive, fate would lure him on, to a distant realm, an exotic princess, and a destiny of blood...