A summary of "Blizzard of Shadows" by Alexey Pekhov

An adventure novel by Russian writer Alexey Pekhov, published in 2003. The central theme of the work is a mortal man’s solitary descent into the multi-level ancient burial grounds of the Bone Palaces to save the kingdom of Valiostr from a dark mage. The novel won the prestigious Silver Caduceus Award at the Star Bridge festival for best series. The book concludes the "Chronicles of Siala" series and follows "Lurker in the Shadows" and "Dzhanga with the Shadows."

Zagraba forests

Master thief Garrett’s party slowly makes its way through the wild forests of Zagraba. The journey is fraught with deadly dangers. The heroes regularly encounter treacherous traps and enormous wild animals. The elf Miralissa, at the cost of her own life, saves her companions from terrifying forest monsters — H’san’kor. She succumbs to a monstrous magical attack. Soon, the party discovers a torn-apart vampire from the Order of the Gray. Before dying, the warrior whispers a warning to Garrett about stealing the Rainbow Horn.

Having reached the entrance to the underground Bone Palaces — Hrad Spein — the thief decides to descend alone. The dwarf Hallas, the dwarf Deler, the goblin Kli-kli, the elf Egrassa, the knight Alistan Markaus, and the warriors Ugr and Mumr remain to wait for him on the surface.

Bone Palaces

The dungeons greet Garrett with darkness and deadly mechanisms. Descending deeper and deeper, the hero finds the Doors — massive magical gates. The thief’s pursuers set an ambush. The Master’s minions are led by the sorceress Lafressa and Count Balistan Pargaid. Garrett uses the Elven Key (a unique authorization tool) to open the Doors. The hero flees, leaving his enemies behind. Lafressa takes the Key and retreats to the lower levels of the first. The thief must find his way through the darkness of the vast burial complexes.

The depths of Hrad Spein hold a thousand secrets. Garrett crosses colossal stone bridges over underground rivers. He traverses ancient halls of elven burials. In one of the crypts, a dead elven lord gives him a magical ring with a black diamond. The stone responds sensitively to the heartbeat. The underground path gradually becomes more complex. The corridors change shape. Stone spikes descend from the ceiling. The thief is forced to squeeze through narrow stone pipes. He flees from invisible destroyers of stonework. The hero narrowly escapes death in the halls of Sleeping Whispers. There, ancient magic burns away the mind. Salvation is ensured by the spirit of the dead archmage Valder, who inhabits the thief’s mind, and by protective potions.

On the sixth level, hordes of the undead await Garrett. Zombies roam the endless corridors, sensitive to the scent of living blood. The hero manages to avoid them using light crystals and stealth. In Kaiju’s hall, he encounters golden magical guardians woven from sparks. A copper bracelet given to him by the elf Egrassa protects him from death. Having solved the riddle of the colossal statues of the Giants, burning with their gaze, Garrett finds a descent to the Tier Between the Tiers. This is a network of portals (a kind of transport hub) that permeates the entire dungeon.

By choosing the correct door with a red triangle, the thief reaches the eighth level. The tomb of the legendary commander Grok is nearby. The Horn of the Rainbow lies on the tombstone. Touching the artifact, Garrett is transported to the Primordial World of Chaos. There, he fulfills an old promise, repaying his debt to the shadows who saved him. Returning to reality brings a surprise. The hero finds himself on the surface, in an autumn forest, far from his waiting companions.

Orcish captivity and labyrinth

A solitary journey through Zagrab is quickly interrupted. A band of orcs takes Garrett captive. Among the captives is an old goblin named Glo-glo, who turns out to be a powerful shaman. The orcs take the Rainbow Horn and chain the captives in pairs. The prisoners are sent to entertain the crowd in a deadly plant labyrinth. Glo-glo uses the last of his magic, which helps Garrett overcome the labyrinth’s traps. They pass a terrifying bubble-belly spider and four-armed skeletons. The shaman leads Garrett to the victory stone.

Soon, the old goblin reveals a secret. The jester Kli-kli is actually his granddaughter. The girl has been sent to spy on the Shadow Dancer. Suddenly, Kli-kli appears along with the elf Egrassa, Alistan, Mumr, and Ugr. They silently kill the orcish sentries. The team frees the captives and recovers the bag containing the Rainbow Horn. A grueling chase begins. The enraged orcs chase the fugitives. The detachment suffers losses. The dwarf Deler dies in battle. The dwarf Hallas suffers a serious wound to the face, losing an eye. The knight Alistan Markauz sacrifices himself, leading his pursuers down a false trail. The hero makes his final stand on an ancient bridge.

Dryads — the Daughters of the Forest — come to the aid of the exhausted heroes. The Forest Mistress, Zvonkiy Rucheyok, heals a wounded dwarf. She summons enormous war elks to her aid. Six colossal Rokot boars are sent to delay the orcish detachment. Riding these mighty beasts, the heroes cross Zagraba in a matter of days. The Dryads ferry them across the Iselin River with the help of winged wyverns. The Daughters of the Forest abandon them at the edge of the forests. Soon, the detachment encounters Valiostr soldiers. The friends learn of the beginning of a bloody war. Orcish armies have invaded the human kingdom.

Battles and return to Avendoom

Valiostr’s combined forces pin down the central orc army at the Iselin River in the Margend Horseshoe. The heroes watch the enemy’s rout. The orcish army perishes under the blows of knightly cavalry, dwarven cannons, and elven archers. The royal army celebrates its triumph. Inspired by victory, the detachment receives fresh horses and rushes to the capital. The goal is to deliver the Horn of the Rainbow to the masters of the Order of Mages. Along the way, they wear out several horses. The heroes narrowly escape nighttime ambushes by supporters of the Nameless One.

Avendoom greets its friends with fires and fierce battles at the fortress walls. The army of the Nameless One lays siege to the capital, wielding devastating dark magic. King Valiostra dies from a fireball right on the battlefield. At that moment, the Master’s messenger reveals a terrible truth to Garrett. The head of the Order of Mages, Arcivus, has long since sold out to the Enemy. The Magister intends to use the Horn of the Rainbow and the artifact, the Steed of Shadows (a powerful tool for controlling demons), to destroy the balance of the universe.

The minutes count. Leaving his companions behind, Garrett makes his way to the Order’s empty tower. On the top floor, he sees Artsivus. The traitor is performing a dark ritual before a magic mirror. Valder’s spirit seizes control of the thief’s body. The Archmage engages in magical combat with the enemy and throws the magister into the opening portal. Valder leaps after him, carrying Artsivus with him to other worlds.

Having regained control, Garrett rushes toward the Rainbow Horn. The thief throws him beyond the magical mirror. The dark portal instantly closes. Balance is restored. The army of the Nameless One, deprived of magical support, panics and flees. The surviving mages of the Order imbue the Horn with new power. The magical field permanently blocks the dark sorcerer’s access to the northern lands.

Several months after a lengthy recovery, Garrett decides to leave Avendoom. The thief receives the promised royal pardon and a generous gold reward. After bidding a warm farewell to the goblin woman, Kli-Kli, he mounts his trusty horse, Bee. The master thief sets off south, toward a quieter life and new horizons.