Velant is a penal colony hidden away in the frozen wastes of Edgeland, an inhospitable location on the edge of the world where the King of Donderath sends the convicted of his domain. Those banished to Velant never return, so it is a fate just short of death to be sent there, and for many it turns into a death sentence. The prison is ruled by an oppressive governor who uses his warden mages to keep the prisoners in line and ensure they continue working in the ruby mines. Those prisoners fortunate enough to survive their sentence of servitude in the mines still don't get to return home when they are done, instead they earn a ticket of leave which makes them a colonist in a small town near the prison that remains under the rule of the Governor. This town barely survives at the best of times and during the 6 month long dark season it must rely on the regular supply ships from Donderath to keep everyone alive. However, it seems that those ships have stopped arriving for an unknown reason, and the long dark is approaching...

The main character, Blaine McFadden, is sentenced to prison in Velant at the start of the book and it is his life there that is the strength of this book. Blaine and his fellow convicts are sympathetic characters that struggle to eke out a life against all odds in Edgeland and it is easy to root for them to be successful. Friendships forged by shared suffering bind them together and the reasons they each carry for being sentenced to Velant add a nice amount of flavor to their relationships. Their world is harsh, but lucky for them they have a little bit of magic at their disposal to help get by. 

For better or worse, a quest line fueled by some standard fantasy tropes eventually takes over and forces Blaine and his friends to undertake a quest against long odds.  Vampires, magic, ancient riddles, and last surviving heir quests have all been done before, so does this one actually rise above all the tropes to stand out?  Not really. The story feels incomplete and the unique and engaging aspects of this story seem to be in the rear view mirror by the time it ends. The main characters are solid but the all too convenient plot points of the latter half of the book have me concerned as I head into book two. At least since I listened to this one and it is narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds which means that I was able to listen to a masterful storyteller, which helps alleviate my concerns quite a bit.