The curse that made Lord Hugh of Stasiek the most dangerous man in the empire also destroyed his will to live. He now yearns for nothing more than dissolution, to lose himself in strong wine, reckless gambling, and in the arms of countless beautiful women. Yet when the call comes from the one man he cannot disobey - his elder brother, the duke - he puts aside his dreams of death and rides forth to secure the fate of a seemingly insignificant border town.

Joined by a small cadre of uniquely lethal and gorgeous women, Hugh crushes every obstacle before him, only to discover an insidious and malignant force that defies even the power of his blade. A force that, if left unchecked, will consume not only the town and everyone Hugh has come to care for, but sweep down into the duchy itself and bring forth an age of fire and ruin.

Only Hugh's curse - that fey, wretched source of his ungodly might - gives him a chance of preventing this dire fate. But choosing to consciously embrace that power - the same that near drove him to death - could have consequences far beyond anything he could imagine....

Warning and minor spoilers: This is an 18+ audiobook intended for mature listeners. It contains graphic sex, medieval violence, and harem relationships.