Samuel Branch is a man capable of wielding the energy around him to devastating effect. In another time, he would have been revered and feared as a wizard. In an age of technological miracles, the world has no need of his services. When a dangerous messenger arrives with orders from the ancient and unimaginably powerful Lords and the Ladies, though, Samuel Branch has no choice but follow the trail of a rising darkness. To complicate matters, when the sister of a friend-turned-enemy goes missing, an old lover resurfaces demanding that he intervene. When it all comes down, Samuel Branch may find that a rising darkness is the least of his problems.
Overwhelmed by guilt and burdened with more power than he ever wanted, Samuel Branch is slowly crumbling. The pressure mounts with the arrival of the Green Man, who has risen from the very heart of the world with a single purpose: kill Samuel Branch. Sam is hampered at every turn by an ambitious reporter looking for a story, a newcomer with an ambiguous agenda, and a coven of black magic sorcerers. As he struggles with his own fragile state of mind, Sam must find a way to accept the costs of power or face certain death at the hands of the Green Man.
After nearly a year away, Samuel Branch returns home to try and build a life for himself. His plans, however, mean nothing to the world at large. He finds himself dragged into supernatural politics, squaring off against a corrupt police officer and fighting against his own rage. To make matters worse, the Green Man returns with a chilling revelation and a task. As Branch struggles to understand these new challenges, he will learn that power alone is not enough and, for some, things will never be the same again…