Flame Dancer Kelva of Arukan seeks the missing elements - Stone and Sea, Wind and Soul - that must join to preserve their world from destruction. Seeing that the Stone Dance, the master of Earth magic, would be found in the icy north, she and her dragon companion fly to a country mired in an unnaturally long winter. When at last they find Jareth, the Stone Dancer's own anger and pain make him reluctant to accept his destiny. His need for vengeance against the old gods who betrayed his people is pwerful - powerful enough to lead the group farther into the snows, searching for the lengendary Ice Maiden, who may be responsible for the forced winter. But betrayal doesn't come only from the gods - and the forces against them are vast. Before their quest is over, Kelva must realize that while Flame can break through the chill of the winter, Stone can withstand anything...

Christie Golden is the author of 23 novels and more than a dozen short stories in the fields of fantasy, science fiction and horror.

She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and has lived in Michigan, Virginia (where she went to high school with actress Sandra Bullock) and attended the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado. Her first novel, Vampire of the Mists, launched gaming company TSR's gothic horror/fantasy line Ravenloft in 1991 and introduced the popular elven vampire Jander Sunstar. Two more Ravenloft novels followed, Dance of the Dead and The Enemy Within.

Over the next few years, Golden wrote three original fantasy novels, Instrument of Faith, King's Man and Thief and, in 1999, wrote A.D. 999 under the pen name of Jadrien Bell. A.D. 999 won the Colorado Authors' League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel of 1999.

Golden is also kept busy with various tie-in projects. To date, she's written well over a dozen novels for various incarnations of Star Trek, and has been entrusted with the "relaunch" of Star Trek: Voyager after that show ended its run on television.

She's also written for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel anthologies and done novels based on Steven Spielberg's Invasion America animated television show. One of her proudest moments came when well-known film producer and screenwriter Harve Bennett was so impressed with her Invasion America work that he invited her to Hollywood to write for the show. Unfortunately, the show was not renewed for a second season.

Golden recently completed a three-year intensive and practicum with All Season's Chalice Church in the ceremonial and ritual arts, earning the title of Priestess of the Ceremonial Arts. She lives in Colorado with her artist husband and their two cats.