How far can a hero fall? Far enough to lose his soul? Dhamon Grimwulf, once a Hero of the Heart, has sunk into a bitter life of crime and squalor. Now, as the great dragon overlords of the Fifth Age coldly plot to strengthen their rule and to destroy their enemies, he must somehow find the will to redeem himself. But perhaps it is too late. Downfall marks the return of Dhamon and other characters from author Jean Rabe's bestselling Dragons of a New Age trilogy.

The people of Krynn have known war in past ages. Some are still alive who remember the triumph of good at the conclusion of the War of the Lance. Still more remember the devastation of the Chaos War, which ended the Fourth Age of the world. But now a new war is about to begin, more terrible than any have known. This war is one for the very heart and soul of the world itself.

The Summer of Chaos has ended. Ansalon's nightmare has only just begun. The gods have departed the world, heralding a new Age of Mortals. But before the dust of war can settle, vast shadows cover the land. Dragons have come to Ansalon, larger and more powerful than any ever seen, and they will wreak havoc on nations still trembling from war. As the lands themselves begin to change under the dire magic of the new dragon overlords, new heroes arise to lead the fight for freedom.

A year has passed since the Chaos War threatened Krynn. In the east, on the Dairly Plains, the hard-won peace is shattered by a new threat: the red dragon Malystryx. The kender Kronn-alin Thistleknot travels to Abasasinia with his older sister, Catt. Together they seek heroes to stop the dragon from destroying Kendermore. Riverwind, aging chieftain of the Que-Shu, answers the call. Accompanied by his beloved daughter Brightdawn, Riverwind sets out in his final quest to save the kender from Malys's wrath...and to find sense in a world abandoned by the gods.

Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.