The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay is a third fantasy trilogy released in November 1986, following the Summer Tree, 1984, and The Wintering Fire that aims at ending the phenomenally big fight between the good and the evil Rakoth. The book opens with the liberation of Paraiko by Kim, Matt, and Tabor. After the rescue, Ruana conducts clemency and howling rite for the dead tied to Paraiko's passive nature. The ritual is powerful because it summons all the dead Paraiko and invokes Kim and Ruana to change Paraiko's pacifist nature and command them to battle against Maugrim. The other significant outcome of the ritual is that it destroys the magical blood curse that Paraiko has used for hundreds of years to protect themselves.
After completing the ritual, Kim visits the cottage to meet Darien to hand him the Lisen that identifies his status. When Darien wears the Circlet of Lisen, it indicates that he is evil, and he suspects danger. Darien quickly runs away after grabbing the blade Ysanne used to commit suicide. Darien knows that the conflict between the good guys and evil is not over, but he suspects he might be the next victim of murder.
Since Kim knows that she is under the command to fight the evil Rakoth, she forms an alliance with the non-violent Paraiko giants and lures them to be on the side of the good. Kim knows that defeating the evil Rakoth is an uphill task, but she is determined to use her battle tactics to get good results. The other group that joins Kim's soldiers is the mass armies led by King Aileron, and they jointly launch an attack against the evil Rakoth’s fortress. Using the dagger Darien fled with, he joined the side of the evil to fight against Kim's group. Meanwhile, the reader learns there is a massive battle between Lancelot and the rock demon. The battle continues to gain momentum, but that does not distract Kim and her fierce attack on the evil Rakoth because the objective is to restore order and ensure the good side wins the battle.
