Kate lost her brother and love during a failed rescue attempt in Rime's neighboring country, Seva. She fears her hesitation in using her Sway was what caused her losses, but she had to return to Rime and the fight to survive the inquisition of Wilders.
A year after her return to Rime, Kate and her wilder supporters have carved out a place on the edges of their homeland. Edwin has declared himself king in Corwin's absence and the shaky armistice protects them in the wilder city. Kate is swamped in self-doubt but holds up for her followers.
In the prison mines of Seva a young man called Clash has a secret even he doesn't remember. High Prince Corwin has retreated into his own mind to survive the brutal reality of the mine. A personal rebellion on behalf of his only friend leads to a traitor from Rime who shares Kate's power of Sway discovering his identity.
Lord Gavril introduces Corwin to Seva's Godking and his children. Using the man's power the Godking forces Corwin's marriage to his only daughter. The ploy is a bid for Rime and the riches--the magic--it harbors. Corwin refuses to allow a relationship to grow with his farcical wife, Eravis. And she schemes with the captive prince to hide from her father and his lackey.
The announcement of Corwin's marriage stuns Kate--not only is he alive but married to their greatest enemy's only daughter. This doesn't sound like the Corwin Kate has known for most of her life.
Lord Gavril has kept Corwin under his thumb through a mixture of his power and a drug made from magical deposits found in Seva's mines. The prince is unable to prevent himself from becoming complicit in the Godking's plans to destroy Rime.
Captured wilders and Sevan forces attack a war-torn Rime. Still reeling from a civil war between wilder and mages the invading army has little difficulty subduing the country. Their attempts to escape leads Corwin and the captured wilders to Kate and the wilder leaders captured by Edwin.
The invasion reveals more to the story than Kate or Corwin imagined when their old enemy Rendborne appears on the scene. Kate questions everything she believed of the Rimish conflict and magic in Rime. Corwin questions his own ability to lead and his right to the throne amid problems his people face.
Kate and Corwin repeatedly face tragic losses as the war for Rime rages between various forces. They hope to find each other in the end, but it appears the Goddess Noralah has her own requirements of the two aim to lead her chosen country.
Shadow & Flame is intended for older teen and young adult readers with graphic violence and complex manipulation. The classic struggle of good versus evil is mirrored in the question of control against free will. Kate is a flawed character who readers can identify with while Corwin is a respectable character fighting for something larger than himself.
