Beyond the wall of sleep, past the Gates of Horn and Ivory, lies the rich and fertile land where stories are born. It is called the Dreaming--and its own tale is about to take a dark and dangerous turn.
Daniel, the Lord of Dreams, has abandoned his kingdom, leaving its borders broken and bloody. Lucien, his faithful warden, can feel his own mind slipping away as the Dream King's realm decays around him. And the other residents of the Dreaming, from the monstrous and mercenary Dora to the gruff, unflappable Merv Pumpkinhead, are fighting among themselves to preserve what they can.
But the true nightmare is yet to come. From out of the black chest of retired nightmares emerges a forgotten menace--an evil that has festered in solitary confinement for more than a century. With a hempen noose and an iron fist, Judge Gallows will bring his own brand of order to the Dreaming, remaking it in his own grim and gory image.
