Brox, a young man whose congenital brain condition has gifted him with an unusual talent, is propelled by the disappearance of his father to venture beyond the safety and comfort of his hidden homeland, The Valley of the Roses. The country beyond the valley is just emerging from a pollution-induced brief glacial age, and feudal societies are at war over the limited resources left on the Earth. Broxas talent enables him to be of considerable use to the beautiful but driven Princess Certina, and Brox struggles to maintain his noble innocence. Because his talent has caused him to endanger friends and kill animals at home, he fears that he will lose control over his strength, and kill again, which is just what the princess needs him to do. With the aid of a newly found friend, the mythical-seeming bird-like creature known as Nightfang, Brox tries to please everyone, and yet remain true to himself. This novel is both an exciting adventure in a post-cataclysmic primitive world and a young manas equally exciting adventure in coming-of-age and self-discovery.