In the small hamlet of Havendale, an unending winter brings a desperate father to make a deal with a mysterious figure for the safe birth of his twin boys, Jacob and Robin. Raised in the harsh northern climate, the brothers struggle to survive famine, cold, plague, wolves, witches, and the insidious Inquisition.
As they come of age, one of the twins discovers he possesses a power considered heretical by the church and must hide it at all costs to avoid persecution.
Meanwhile, a young prince named William sets out on his own quest to secure his kingdom and make it a fair and just land for all. His journey leads him into a treacherous political game, as he tries to grant civil rights to the downtrodden non-human Haulfin.
As these two storylines unfold, they begin to intersect, and the fate of the Empire rests on the shoulders of these unlikely heroes. The Twins and William must face their own challenges and overcome impossible odds to save their world from an uncertain future.