Major Collem West accompanies Lord Marshal Burr to confront Angland’s Lord Governor Meed, who admits he disobeyed orders to wait for reinforcements before the disastrous engagement at Black Well. Burr furiously strips Meed of troops and tasks him with managing people displaced from Black Well due to the violence.

West briefs a council of war attended by three rival factions: the austere General Kroy, the flamboyant General Poulder, and the vain Crown Prince Ladisla with his incompetent staff. Ladisla’s detachment will hold a defensive position south of the River Cumnur. Burr promotes West to the rank of Colonel and assigns him to Ladisla’s staff to prevent further disaster.

While riding to inspect troops, Burr impulsively races his horse, and both he and West are thrown. West is dragged into the forest by the Northmen and expects to die, but Threetrees reveals they are enemies of Bethod seeking to join the Union. Burr accepts their offer and assigns the five Northmen to West’s command under Prince Ladisla.

Superior Sand dan Glokta arrives in Dagoska with his Practicals, including Vitari, who always keeps her face masked, carrying orders from Arch Lector Sult to investigate his predecessor Davoust’s disappearance and defend the city. Inquisitor Harker guides them through the squalid Lower City, where Dagoskans live in poverty, barred from the Upper City after a rebellion three years earlier.

In the House of Questions, Glokta finds two of Davoust’s servants tortured to death and a traumatized girl still alive. Enraged by Harker’s incompetence, he strikes him with his cane, accuses him of being a butcher or traitor, and has him imprisoned.

Glokta meets Dagoska’s ruling council—Magister Carlot dan Eider, General Vissbruck, Lord Governor Vurms, his arrogant son Korsten, and the indigenous priest Haddish Kahdia. When the council attempt to dismiss him, Glokta presents a royal writ granting him supreme authority and asserts his power over the council.

Following the events of The Blade Itself, Bayaz’s party arrives in Calcis, a decaying city in the Old Empire. Bayaz (an elderly wizard or “magus”) lectures an uninterested Jezal dan Luthar (a young Union nobleman) on the history of Calcis as they walk its streets. When Bayaz suggests that Jezal can learn a lot from Logen Ninefingers, the dreaded Northmen of their company, inducted in the quest because of his ability to commune with Spirits, Jezal expresses disbelief, referring to Logen as “that ape” (49). Imperial Legate Salamo Narba, the governor of Calcis, meets Bayaz and expresses his concern about Bayaz’s presence in the city during a civil war between three self-proclaimed Emperors, Goltus, Scario, and Cabrian. Narba explains that because of the battle in the Old Empire (distinct from the conflict in the larger world) all routes across the flooded River Aos are blocked. He gives Bayaz three days to leave. Bayaz erupts with terrifying rage, declares himself the First of the Magi, and vows to leave in one day before storming out.

The perspective shifts to Logen, who wants to walk away from his violent past despite his fearsome reputation in battle. Logen reflects on his many past wounds while talking with Brother Longfoot (a navigator who’s been hired by Bayaz to guide his group to the edge of the world). Longfoot describes the extreme dangers of their journey across the Old Empire to the island of Shabulyan at the edge of the World, and reveals their cover as a merchant caravan.

Glokta inspects the land walls of Dagoska with General Vissbruck and Practical Vitari, observing the Gurkish army camped on the mainland with over 5,000 soldiers. In contrast, Vissbruck has only six hundred Union soldiers and roughly 1,000 mercenaries. Finding the walls crumbling, Glokta orders all resources directed to repair, commands Vissbruck to hire Dagoskans for labor, and demands the ditch be excavated for flooding—all within two weeks.

Glokta and Vitari also meet Cosca, the drunken captain of the mercenaries. Cosca knows Vitari from their native Styria. He asks Vitari to remove her mask so he can see her beauty. A contemptuous Vitari brushes off Cosca. Cosca openly admits to Vitari and Glokta that he would betray his employer for a higher price, but agrees about the necessity of fortifying the land walls.

Korsten dan Vurms, the son of Dagoska’s Lord Governor, meets with Glokta to protest his orders. Vurms tells Glokta that digging a ditch around the city will open it up to the untrustworthy “natives.” Glokta coolly informs Vurms that the natives are also part of Dagoska. When Glokta discovers that Vurms’s food supplies exclude the indigenous population, he warns the younger man that a starving population will cause chaos during a siege. Glokta orders Vurms to procure six months of provisions for everyone. When Vurms protests, Glokta threatens to ship him to the House of Questions. Vurms grudgingly submits to Glokta’s orders. Glokta reflects that he has made enemies and desperately needs allies.

Watching Bayaz’s unusual, secret attention to a heavy box in a car in their caravan, the rebel Ferro Maljinn, part of Bayaz’s entourage to the Edge of the World, reflects that she distrusts everyone in her group. As the party crosses a bridge out of Calcis, a soldier warns them the plain ahead is extremely dangerous.

On the vast, featureless plain, Ferro, who used to be enslaved by the Gurkish Empire, confronts Bayaz, demanding answers about the First Law—which forbids contact with the demon world—and about Khalul, a rival Magus who practices cannibalism and serves as prophet to the Gurkish. When she asks about the Seed (an important relic in the First Law trilogy, the object of Bayaz’s quest), Bayaz calls it the instrument of their vengeance but warns that speaking of it is dangerous.

After making camp, Ferro steals supplies and attempts to desert the group, but Logen stops her. Seeing no escape, Ferro prepares to fight, but Logen offers a deal: stay a few days, watch each other’s backs, and trust someone eventually. Ferro considers her history of running away and reluctantly agrees. They sit together in the darkness, keeping watch.

Glokta visits Haddish Kahdia, the representative of the indigenous people, in the Lower City to seek information about Davoust’s disappearance. Kahdia denies knowledge of Davoust’s fate. When Glokta asks him if the indigenous population are allied with the Gurkish, Kahdia clarifies that the Dagoskans would never ally with the Gurkish, their ancient enemies. Though Glokta may think the two people are similar, both being dark-skinned, the Dagoskans are a peace-loving folk unlike the cruel Gurkish. Satisfied with Kahdia’s answer for now, Glokta offers him a deal: if the Dagoskan population helps defend the city, Glokta will ensure they are granted full citizenship rights. Kahdia is inwardly skeptical but accepts Glokta’s offer as his people’s only hope.

Glokta interrogates imprisoned Inquisitor Harker, who confesses under torture to stealing money Davoust extorted from the indigenous people. However, he claims ignorance about Davoust’s disappearance. Despite Harker’s confession, Glokta continues to torture him, reflecting that causing pain is his job.

That evening, Glokta dines with Magister Eider, who reveals that Davoust suspected a traitor on the council shortly before vanishing. Eider and Glokta agree to support each other, and Glokta requests 100,000 marks and the removal of merchants from the Great Temple. When Eider wonders how a war hero like Glokta himself became a torturer, Glokta reflects that his physical trauma gave him only self-pity, not empathy for another human being.

While Brother Longfoot is away ensuring the path ahead is clear, Logen reflects on his new group’s uncomfortable silence, missing his old crew with Dogman and Threetrees. He thinks the men must be dead by now. When Logen wishes aloud for meat, Ferro shoots two flying birds with impossible accuracy. Bayaz explains that Ferro has “devil-blood”—demonic ancestry granting abilities beyond those of normal humans.

The party discovers a recently abandoned village and makes camp among the ruins. Logen cooks and, resolving to build camaraderie with his new crew, offers the water-skin to Ferro, who snatches it wordlessly. To break the silence, Logen asks for a story. At Bayaz’s prompting, Marcus Quai (another crew-member, Bayaz’s apprentice magus and a member of the Old Empire) recounts the fall of that ancient kingdom. Euz, the great king who sealed the gates between this world and the Other Side and established the First Law forbidding contact with the demonic realm, had four sons. In dividing the disciplines of magic between his adult sons, Euz made a huge error. To his youngest, Glustrod, Euz gave no clear discipline, causing Glustrod to feel shunned. Spurned by his father, Glustrod studied forbidden magic, consumed human flesh, and allied with devils. While Juvens built the Empire, Glustrod seized the magnificent city of Aulcus, sparking a terrible war that ended when Glustrod’s attempt to open a gate to the demon world destroyed him and Aulcus. As Quai ends his tale, Luthar scoffs that it is a mere fable. An angry Bayaz orders Luthar to wash pots. Logen offers Ferro the water-skin again; she accepts, which he takes as progress.