Publisher's Synopsis
After a harrowing adventure wielding the Sword of Truth, Jack Teller settles back into his regular life tending bar, feeling directionless and disillusioned. But his respite is short-lived when his childhood friend Violet Greene goes down a dark path, now under the influence of an ancient mystical artifact known as the Scepter of Deception.
The Scepter grants Violet the power to manipulate illusions and control perceptions, warping her grief and desire for justice into vengeful ambition. Assuming the identity of "The Countess," Violet severs ties with her past and disappears into the criminal underworld.
To save Violet and stop the chaos she is sowing, Jack must dive back into a shadowy world of magic and intrigue. Teaming up once more with the mysterious Lucius, Jack navigates the seedy networks of gangs and syndicates the Countess commands.
Every dark alley and sin-soaked backroom brings Jack closer to a confrontation with his corrupted friend and the malevolent force controlling her. But the Scepter's toxic energy threatens to unravel bonds and distort truth.
Jack soon realizes that victory over evil requires looking beyond facades. By clinging to hope and trust, he must pierce the veil of deception before Violet is lost forever.
