When a natural disaster predicted by God's Gardeners leader Adam One obliterates most human life, two survivors trapped inside respective establishments that metaphorically represent paradise and hell wonder if any of their loved ones have survived, while the outside world is overcome by gene-spliced life forms.

With no knightly experience but plenty of pluck and an impressive vocabulary, a twelve-year-old peasant, hoping to improve his station in life, volunteers to help a cowardly prince and his not very powerful wizard rescue a princess from an evil, foul-smelling monster.

"Being Madame Ariadne, Psychic Dream Consultant, wasn't Prudence Ryland's ideal gig, but it paid well which was reason enough to do the work--until she realizes that her latest client intends to kill her. It doesn't seem likely that rumored crime boss Luther Pell or his associate, Jack Wingate, believe her claims of being a target of a ruthless vendetta. So no one is more shocked than Prudence when Jack says he'll help her. Of course, his ideas for...