With the death of the fearsome Ögedei Khan, the Mongol invasion of the
West has been brought to an abrupt halt. The defenders, a band of brave
warrior monks known as the Shield-Brethren, limp homeward again across a
frozen, bloodied wasteland.
But where--and what--is "home" now that the threat of invasion no longer
shapes their lives? Thirteenth-century Europe has been saved from
annihilation at the hands of the Mongols, to be sure, but new and
terrible threats are at hand: political and religious turmoil threaten
to turn the warriors' world upside down once more.
Painted against a rich backdrop of medieval mysticism and Russian
folklore, Katabasis weaves together the tales of victor and victim alike
in a fearless exploration of what it means not just to survive, but to
truly live again.