Charlemagne's chess set, once assembled, has an amazing amount of power that proves dangerous to the world. The pieces are well hidden but need to be dug up and scattered during the time of the French Revolution. In 1972 Algeria, our heroine is trying to locate the pieces.

Expect nonstop suspense, espionage, murder and a puzzle that seems the key to the whole Western mystical tradition. Bookclubs will have a lot to talk about and the sequel, The Fire, written 20 years later, is also a great read but not as complex.