16 year-old American Danielle De Voss has big plans for her future, but all those hopes are shattered when her plane crashes in the Rub Al Khali, where she must literally deal with nightmares out of 1001 Arabian Nights. A 1,000 years ago in the ancient city of Irem Zhat al Imed, a sage foretold of a savior that would one day save the city, and then the city sank beneath the sand never to be seen by an overlander until it sucks in the unsuspecting hero. Stuck in an underground world, Danielle must quickly learn to survive in a land inhospitable to women. Before she can even get into the city of Irem though, Danielle finds out just how much danger abounds in her new home when she is attacked by a group a zombie-like creatures and their master, the evil, and completely crazy, sorcerer Nox Absyrtus. After a narrow escape, Danielle quickly thrives with a little unconventional help from a masked crusader, a homeless witch, and a magic carpet. But Nox Absyrtus and his obsessive ways will be back, but not for revenge, rather with a desperate plea for help - in his own, arrogant, OCD way. In the end Danielle must choose between her own life or the life of man she has grown to love.