Mark Lawrence starts the story from where it ended in the previous part of the series. Snorri and Jalan are the two characters who were connected by fate in the last part. The motive of both these characters is different but the solution is the same so that’s why they decide to keep united. Snorri wants to bring his dead family back to life and Jalan somehow wants to get to women and wine once again.
For this purpose, they needed Loki’s key which possesses the power to open any gate in the universe whether it is associated with heaven or hell. Now they have finally occupied the key but they haven’t been able to find the door behind which they will find the things of their desire. Time is running out because the Wheel of Osheim is turning at a quick pace and with its turn, things come back to the place from where they started.
Tim Gerard Reynolds narrates this ghastly situation in which the heroes are left with two choices i.e win or die trying. If a listener looks at it from the perspective of Red Sister and Prince of Thorns then it is a different series which talks about the world of gods and humans at the same time. Lust for women in a man and then love for family are described side by side in the story.
The two characters describe two different approaches to life. One approach is connected to pure love and the other is linked to pure physical pleasure. Both are forced to join forces because they have to walk on the same path for a while.