Many years have passed since Queen Thirrin and her allies defended the Icemark against a brutal invasion. But now General Bellorum is back, along with his bloodthirsty spawn, twin sons even more vicious than him. Thirrin and Oskan also have a family: two girls and three boys. But darkness lurks within the House of Lindenshield: Medea, the couple's cold-hearted, fifteen-year-old daughter, who's just coming into her magical powers, may be the downfall of the kingdom. It's up to her brother, Charlemagne, crippled by polio as a child, to return from exile and rescue the land he loves.

Submitter's comments: "One of the main protagonists of this novel (a sequel to a less diverse book that can be read as a standalone) is a young teenager stricken with polio at a young age. He is a prince living in a medieval society in which the ability to fight is valued, so when his country is attacked he is sent away as a refugee. In these far away parts (the multiple culture aspect- most of these reflect Middle Eastern and African cultures) he meets people who teach him how to fight from horseback in spite of his disability."