"Enter the timeless city of Malacia, where streets are paved with gold, where chilling magic reigns, where a war like none other is about to be waged. Here lives a young man named Perian de Chirolo, a Renaissance man, a free-spirited actor on an extraordinary stage, a fearless lover whose questing heart carries him into the teeth of danger. Here, Brian W. Aldiss weaves together a compelling tapestry of wonder and lust, of mythic beasts and soul-shattering surprise, as Perian accepts a harrowing mission that will sweep him toward his true fate and a new destiny for all Malacians."--Provided by publisher