Those who have survived are forced to hunt and destroy the skags-the Others-of-Us-the (nearly) immortal survivors of biological contamination, who scavenge the land looking for anything or anyone to eat, either living or dead. What is left of mankind clings to the remnants of a fierce feudal society, living in a harsh climate and hostile environment. The Tearstone forces her on an ominous journey to a time and place over a thousand years into our future, long after five natural cataclysms have almost destroyed the earth. An unusual object, compelling and unexplainable, comes into the possession of reclusive author, Suzanne Jennings, by an even stranger set of circumstances.
