On the failing planet of Newearth, Fen survives as a mercenary bodyguard within an empire built by the alien Makers. After her two fathers are executed by the ruthless Sovereign and Fen herself is marked for death, she is forced to flee. Carrying only a map and a quarterstaff, Fen seeks the remnants of her parents’ long-suppressed rebellion, only to find an underground movement as perilous as the regime it opposes. Caught between collapsing worlds, imperial politics, and the rise of Alekhai—the Sovereign’s brutal heir—Fen must decide whether aligning with her greatest enemy could save Newearth or destroy it completely.