The book follows Rhea Silvia as she struggles to survive in a world ruled by cruel men and fickle gods. After she falls pregnant to Mars, she is punished, and her babies are taken away to be left by the river. While her sons grow up to be famous warriors and founders, Rhea has to find her own strength and voice. She deals with loneliness, magic, and the heavy weight of her destiny. In the end, it is a story about a mother’s love and how one woman’s choices shaped the future of the Roman world.