A woman forced to claim the throne. A man forced to flee it in exile. Driven from his home by the war he couldn't tame, Rune finds himself faced with two choices: serve the foreign land he's imprisoned in, or die in arena combat. Desperate to return to the island's aid, he's willing to fight his fate until an unexpected ally promises the one thing Rune desires most-the chance to finally lift his curse. As the fractures in Kirban Temple begin to heal, the promise of unity brings a new threat and draws simmering tensions to a new eruption. Without the Underling king at her side to quell it, Firal is forced to act alone-and fight the countless hands that pull the strings in effort to steal control of the island. The Snakesblood Saga continues in Serpent's Bane, book three in a six book epic fantasy adventure filled with intrigue, love, lies, and betrayal.