Trouble is stirring in Irede, the pleasure town whose existence traces back to the age of the gods. Shade attacks are happening in unprecedented numbers, causing the streets to run red with blood. Xixu begins a solitary manhunt for the shaman believed to have engineered the recent chaos, while Saridi confronts the evil at its source.

As the danger comes to a head, the truth of Irede is revealed, and the fates of a young man and woman begin to intertwine. Myth, mystery, blades, and betrayal—all pale in comparison to the brilliance of the moon.