Book 4 Summary
Void and Shadow plot summary
** Spoilers for Books 1-4 ahead **
Ben recovers in the Kolpos Vault following his escape from Svaldway after his fight with Randolph. He learns of the island’s destruction, along with the Grand Vault. He faces off against the Ænærians occupying the settlement outside the Vault, liberating the local Kolposians and earning their trust. Not long after, Arynn arrives in Kolpos on an Ænærian ship. Constantine and Estel betrayed her and sent her across the world as a slave. Upon her arrival, the Ænærians are attacked and she discovers that Ben is there, too.
Rose watches the trial by combat between twins Zechariah and Kristos with horror. Zechariah attempts to kill her during the trial but Shadow intervenes, and Kristos makes the killing blow. She later learns of Vänalleato being mysteriously freed from Ænærian occupation. All the while she must prepare her people for the deadly plague making its way through Ænæria. She places Joshua, son of Jarl Geon, in charge of Plutonua before she leaves for Cerez where she hopes to recruit Legate Philemon to her cause.
Sam discovers she is pregnant while mourning the loss of her lover, Nico. She finds a note hidden in her room that suggests Randolph knew of her affair. She returns to Ignistad from Bacchuso for a summit among the legates. During the summit she learns with disgust that her uncle has betrothed her to Arthur Dion, son of her prefect, Edwin Dion. During the same meeting, Constantine and Memnon are scolded for overthrowing Arynn. Memnon, now calling himself Vestinia’s legate, is to sail for Kolpos to deal with her and discover why Ænæria has lost contact with their colony across the ocean. Constantine is sent to oversee Vestinia in Memnon’s absence.
Ben and Arynn reconnect. He tells her about his powers and shows her the Kolpos Vault as proof. She reveals why she joined the Ænærians, thinking he’d abandoned her in Jordysc. Arynn struggles internally with her feelings for Ben despite her love for Sera. She reveals her attraction to both men and women, saying it was why the Grand Elder of Vänalleato tried to do away with her and Sera. They later join the Kolposians for a celebratory feast. Ben and Arynn kiss after a dance, but only for a moment after Arynn realizes what she is doing and runs off. That night, Memnon’s forces arrive and attack the village. The Kolposians fight back, now armed with weapons from their captors. Ben unleashes his full powers and devastates the enemy. Arynn sees him lose control, and Mimir leaves the Vault to subdue him.
Sam and Randolph return home to Sun Reach and have a funeral for Nico. She wonders if she should run away from her duties and find Nico’s sister to live a life in peace. Arthur makes drunken, unwanted advances on her. Randolph punishes Arthur though does not call off the betrothal. They later travel to Chasmdale, the home of the Minervian Vault where Julius first procured Enochian technology that allowed him to conquer and unite the Northern Kingdoms. Randolph enters the Vault himself and exits with otherworldly armor and displays inhuman feats to prove that he is the Sun’s Chosen. Randolph then brings Sam into the Vault using her own blood to prove she, too, is worthy of the Sun. Randolph runs some tests on her and reveals he has suspected she is pregnant. He then locks her inside the Vault, intending she remain there throughout the pregnancy to ensure the safety of Sam and her future daughter.
He also reveals that he is not her uncle, but her father.
Rose confronts Shadow with her suspicion that he is an Enochian. He reveals that he is not only an Enochian, but an avatar of the rogue Ere-Bose. Felix, the child who liberated Vänalleato, is another of his avatars.
After Ben recovers in the Kolpos Vault, he and Arynn plan to return home with the Kolposians using the Ænærian air and sea ships. The airship stops in Ney first, where Ben receives updates on the war. He learns that the cure he and Gus worked on has successfully treated many of the ferals and Ney is working to reintegrate them into society. They tell Ben about the spreading plague in Ænæria and the Penteric Alliance. Ben and Mimir begin working on more of the cure as it also appears effective at treating and preventing the plague.
Sam speaks with the Vault’s AI, Ænærys, and learns she’s the inspiration for the Eternal Mother. King Xander was fooled into creating a false god, as part of Randolph’s grand scheme to wrestle control over Ænæria. Not only that, but she learns he is an Enochian.
Rose arrives in Avenhill, the capital of Cerez, and meets with Legate Philemon to negotiate terms for an alliance. They plot against Randolph and discuss the spreading plague. Randolph sends an ultimatum to Rose. Accept his offering of marriage and surrender or else he’ll destroy all of Avenhill.
Arynn and Ben arrive in Freztad. Arynn reunites with her father and Sera. Ben sneaks Mimir into the Vault beneath Freztad and Gus updates Ben on the plague and the Vault’s discovery. They discuss how to keep Mimir hidden while also exploring ways to further expand his mind and restore his memories.
After more time isolated in the Vault, Sam grows impatient and discovers a way to escape. Randolph’s men are waiting for her, and a deadly clash ensues. Villagers from Chasmdale inspect the commotion, and Sam flees the village on her own.
Felix meets with Ben, revealing he is one of Ere-Bose’s avatars. They come up with a plan to restore the Voidsweeper—the most deadly weapon against the Enochians. Arynn and Sera tell Ben about Fenwin’s lab, giving them the first hint at how to restore the Voidsweeper using the remaining blade of the sword that broke when Ben’s father used it to fend of the early Ænærian invasion of Svaldway many years ago. Ben and his friends plot an infiltration into First Hearth to find Fenwin’s lab and recover the blade.
Philemon reveals to Rose that human flesh has been used to supplement food shortages for years. In some cases consumption causes people to go insane. Feral. Shadow reveals the rest, that a prion disease has formed and is being spread, and it explains why some people are also more susceptible to spreading the plague.
Ben, Gus, Arynn, and Liv sneak into First Hearth through the sewers. They find men preparing human flesh and experimenting on people, turning them into ferals. A fight with the Ænærians and ferals ensues. They arrive at Fenwin’s labs but the code they use sets off an alarm. Gus learns that Constantine is in First Hearth and allows himself to be captured so Ben and Arynn can find another way into the lab.
Constantine learns that Gus survived the massacre of the Severus clan. He’s not the only one shocked to learn of a living member of the family. Constantine reveals that Gus’s older sister, Cassondra, also lives. Constantine took her in as his ward. Liv sneaks in disguised as a Rhion, frees Gus, and helps him kill Constantine.
Ben pretends to be a Rhion who captured Arynn. Estel doesn’t fall for it and attacks Ben with a lightning staff, then restrains him with manacles that can shock and incapacitate him. Arynn fights back but is losing. Gus and Liv, having just gotten free, arrive to subdue Estel. Ben regains consciousness. They all descend an escape elevator to Fenwin’s labs from Estel’s chambers. Rhion are waiting for them, and Arynn convinces them that she’s still the rightful legate of Vestinia and they should listen to her. She is also able to win over Estel who now sees Arynn and Ben as people who can help restore Vestinia to its former glory. After searching the labs, Ben finally finds the missing piece of the Voidsweeper. However the broken blade has an odd effect on him and causes him to lose consciousness.
In her flight, Sam finds a family who takes her in. She realizes she’s traveled all the way to Mercura and she’s lost a significant amount of time. She either has amnesia or was in a fugue state. The family is kind and shows her a peaceful side of life. She thinks about her future as a mother.
Plague rapidly spreads through Avenhill. People turn feral and begin attacking one another. Her guards bring her and other nobles to a safe room. Shadow breaks through, killing some of the guards, all so he can escape with Rose to an unknown location and for unknown reasons.
Too late Sam realizes that the family she found is miraculously Nico’s sister’s—Cameron, using a disguised name. Arthur tracks Sam down and threatens the family’s peace. Sam confronts Arthur, hoping he’ll release the family and do them no harm. Violence breaks out anyway, and Sam realizes she lost control of her powers once again. She brutally kills Arthur and his men. Cameron demands Sam leave. She does so without revealing her connection to them, or that Cameron’s brother is dead.
Ben awakes in the Freztad Vault. Ere-Bose is there in his own body. He implanted a device into Ben’s neck to suppress his powers and also prevent him from losing control or having seizures. He tells Ben that the Grand Vault stored the collective knowledge and consciousness of all Enochians who’d ever been on Earth. When Ben visited the Light Tower and fought Tatanka’s reanimated avatar, the damage to the satellite prevented information from traveling to and from the Enochian home world and the Grand Vault. When Randolph destroyed Svaldway, he erased all the Enochians’ backups and knowledge, except that which lives in Mimir. He then invites Ben to his Vault in Antarctica to train and prepare to travel to the Æther to find the rest of the material needed to reforge the Voidsweeper completely.
Randolph reflects on how he used Enochian technology to send a storm to Avenhill that would rapidly spread the feral disease. He learns Sam likely killed Arthur and is on the run. Returning to the Chasmdale Vault, he discovers it’s been opened by someone else. Shadow is there with an unconscious Rose. Shadow offers Randolph a deal: cooperate, and he will give over his prime body. Not Ere-Bose, who is yet another avatar, but Jean Limmetrad—Ben’s mother.
Rose watches the trial by combat between twins Zechariah and Kristos with horror. Zechariah attempts to kill her during the trial but Shadow intervenes, and Kristos makes the killing blow. She later learns of Vänalleato being mysteriously freed from Ænærian occupation. All the while she must prepare her people for the deadly plague making its way through Ænæria. She places Joshua, son of Jarl Geon, in charge of Plutonua before she leaves for Cerez where she hopes to recruit Legate Philemon to her cause.
Sam discovers she is pregnant while mourning the loss of her lover, Nico. She finds a note hidden in her room that suggests Randolph knew of her affair. She returns to Ignistad from Bacchuso for a summit among the legates. During the summit she learns with disgust that her uncle has betrothed her to Arthur Dion, son of her prefect, Edwin Dion. During the same meeting, Constantine and Memnon are scolded for overthrowing Arynn. Memnon, now calling himself Vestinia’s legate, is to sail for Kolpos to deal with her and discover why Ænæria has lost contact with their colony across the ocean. Constantine is sent to oversee Vestinia in Memnon’s absence.
Ben and Arynn reconnect. He tells her about his powers and shows her the Kolpos Vault as proof. She reveals why she joined the Ænærians, thinking he’d abandoned her in Jordysc. Arynn struggles internally with her feelings for Ben despite her love for Sera. She reveals her attraction to both men and women, saying it was why the Grand Elder of Vänalleato tried to do away with her and Sera. They later join the Kolposians for a celebratory feast. Ben and Arynn kiss after a dance, but only for a moment after Arynn realizes what she is doing and runs off. That night, Memnon’s forces arrive and attack the village. The Kolposians fight back, now armed with weapons from their captors. Ben unleashes his full powers and devastates the enemy. Arynn sees him lose control, and Mimir leaves the Vault to subdue him.
Sam and Randolph return home to Sun Reach and have a funeral for Nico. She wonders if she should run away from her duties and find Nico’s sister to live a life in peace. Arthur makes drunken, unwanted advances on her. Randolph punishes Arthur though does not call off the betrothal. They later travel to Chasmdale, the home of the Minervian Vault where Julius first procured Enochian technology that allowed him to conquer and unite the Northern Kingdoms. Randolph enters the Vault himself and exits with otherworldly armor and displays inhuman feats to prove that he is the Sun’s Chosen. Randolph then brings Sam into the Vault using her own blood to prove she, too, is worthy of the Sun. Randolph runs some tests on her and reveals he has suspected she is pregnant. He then locks her inside the Vault, intending she remain there throughout the pregnancy to ensure the safety of Sam and her future daughter.
He also reveals that he is not her uncle, but her father.
Rose confronts Shadow with her suspicion that he is an Enochian. He reveals that he is not only an Enochian, but an avatar of the rogue Ere-Bose. Felix, the child who liberated Vänalleato, is another of his avatars.
After Ben recovers in the Kolpos Vault, he and Arynn plan to return home with the Kolposians using the Ænærian air and sea ships. The airship stops in Ney first, where Ben receives updates on the war. He learns that the cure he and Gus worked on has successfully treated many of the ferals and Ney is working to reintegrate them into society. They tell Ben about the spreading plague in Ænæria and the Penteric Alliance. Ben and Mimir begin working on more of the cure as it also appears effective at treating and preventing the plague.
Sam speaks with the Vault’s AI, Ænærys, and learns she’s the inspiration for the Eternal Mother. King Xander was fooled into creating a false god, as part of Randolph’s grand scheme to wrestle control over Ænæria. Not only that, but she learns he is an Enochian.
Rose arrives in Avenhill, the capital of Cerez, and meets with Legate Philemon to negotiate terms for an alliance. They plot against Randolph and discuss the spreading plague. Randolph sends an ultimatum to Rose. Accept his offering of marriage and surrender or else he’ll destroy all of Avenhill.
Arynn and Ben arrive in Freztad. Arynn reunites with her father and Sera. Ben sneaks Mimir into the Vault beneath Freztad and Gus updates Ben on the plague and the Vault’s discovery. They discuss how to keep Mimir hidden while also exploring ways to further expand his mind and restore his memories.
After more time isolated in the Vault, Sam grows impatient and discovers a way to escape. Randolph’s men are waiting for her, and a deadly clash ensues. Villagers from Chasmdale inspect the commotion, and Sam flees the village on her own.
Felix meets with Ben, revealing he is one of Ere-Bose’s avatars. They come up with a plan to restore the Voidsweeper—the most deadly weapon against the Enochians. Arynn and Sera tell Ben about Fenwin’s lab, giving them the first hint at how to restore the Voidsweeper using the remaining blade of the sword that broke when Ben’s father used it to fend of the early Ænærian invasion of Svaldway many years ago. Ben and his friends plot an infiltration into First Hearth to find Fenwin’s lab and recover the blade.
Philemon reveals to Rose that human flesh has been used to supplement food shortages for years. In some cases consumption causes people to go insane. Feral. Shadow reveals the rest, that a prion disease has formed and is being spread, and it explains why some people are also more susceptible to spreading the plague.
Ben, Gus, Arynn, and Liv sneak into First Hearth through the sewers. They find men preparing human flesh and experimenting on people, turning them into ferals. A fight with the Ænærians and ferals ensues. They arrive at Fenwin’s labs but the code they use sets off an alarm. Gus learns that Constantine is in First Hearth and allows himself to be captured so Ben and Arynn can find another way into the lab.
Constantine learns that Gus survived the massacre of the Severus clan. He’s not the only one shocked to learn of a living member of the family. Constantine reveals that Gus’s older sister, Cassondra, also lives. Constantine took her in as his ward. Liv sneaks in disguised as a Rhion, frees Gus, and helps him kill Constantine.
Ben pretends to be a Rhion who captured Arynn. Estel doesn’t fall for it and attacks Ben with a lightning staff, then restrains him with manacles that can shock and incapacitate him. Arynn fights back but is losing. Gus and Liv, having just gotten free, arrive to subdue Estel. Ben regains consciousness. They all descend an escape elevator to Fenwin’s labs from Estel’s chambers. Rhion are waiting for them, and Arynn convinces them that she’s still the rightful legate of Vestinia and they should listen to her. She is also able to win over Estel who now sees Arynn and Ben as people who can help restore Vestinia to its former glory. After searching the labs, Ben finally finds the missing piece of the Voidsweeper. However the broken blade has an odd effect on him and causes him to lose consciousness.
In her flight, Sam finds a family who takes her in. She realizes she’s traveled all the way to Mercura and she’s lost a significant amount of time. She either has amnesia or was in a fugue state. The family is kind and shows her a peaceful side of life. She thinks about her future as a mother.
Plague rapidly spreads through Avenhill. People turn feral and begin attacking one another. Her guards bring her and other nobles to a safe room. Shadow breaks through, killing some of the guards, all so he can escape with Rose to an unknown location and for unknown reasons.
Too late Sam realizes that the family she found is miraculously Nico’s sister’s—Cameron, using a disguised name. Arthur tracks Sam down and threatens the family’s peace. Sam confronts Arthur, hoping he’ll release the family and do them no harm. Violence breaks out anyway, and Sam realizes she lost control of her powers once again. She brutally kills Arthur and his men. Cameron demands Sam leave. She does so without revealing her connection to them, or that Cameron’s brother is dead.
Ben awakes in the Freztad Vault. Ere-Bose is there in his own body. He implanted a device into Ben’s neck to suppress his powers and also prevent him from losing control or having seizures. He tells Ben that the Grand Vault stored the collective knowledge and consciousness of all Enochians who’d ever been on Earth. When Ben visited the Light Tower and fought Tatanka’s reanimated avatar, the damage to the satellite prevented information from traveling to and from the Enochian home world and the Grand Vault. When Randolph destroyed Svaldway, he erased all the Enochians’ backups and knowledge, except that which lives in Mimir. He then invites Ben to his Vault in Antarctica to train and prepare to travel to the Æther to find the rest of the material needed to reforge the Voidsweeper completely.
Randolph reflects on how he used Enochian technology to send a storm to Avenhill that would rapidly spread the feral disease. He learns Sam likely killed Arthur and is on the run. Returning to the Chasmdale Vault, he discovers it’s been opened by someone else. Shadow is there with an unconscious Rose. Shadow offers Randolph a deal: cooperate, and he will give over his prime body. Not Ere-Bose, who is yet another avatar, but Jean Limmetrad—Ben’s mother.
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