The twenty-first book in the beloved Foreigner saga continues the adventures of diplomat Bren
Cameron advisor to the atevi head of state. The overthrow of the atevi head of state
Tabini-aiji and the several moves of enemies even since his restoration have prompted major
changes in the Assassins' Guild which has since worked to root out its seditious elements a
clandestine group they call the Shadow Guild. With the Assassins now rid of internal corruption
with the birth of Tabini's second child and with the appointment of an heir stability seems
to have returned to the atevi world. Humans and atevi share the space station in peaceful
cooperation humans and atevi share the planet as they have for centuries and the humans'
island enclave is preparing to welcome 5000 human refugees from a remote station now dismantled
and to do that in unprecedented cooperation with the atevi mainland. In general Bren Cameron
Tabini-aiji's personal representative returning home to the atevi capital after securing that
critical agreement was ready to take a well-earned rest until Tabini's grandmother claimed his
services on a train trip to the smallest most remote and least significant of the provinces
snowy Hasjuran a move concerning which Tabini-aiji gave Bren a private instruction: protect
her. Advise her. Advise her perhaps. As for protection she has a trainload of high-level
Guild. But since the aiji-dowager has also invited a dangerously independent young warlord
Machigi and a young man who may be the heir to Ajuri a key northern province the natural
question is why the dowager is taking this ill-assorted pair to Hasjuran and what on this earth
she may be up to. With a Shadow Guild attack on the train station it has become clear that
others have questions too. Hasjuran on its mountain height overlooks the Marid a district
that is part of the atevi nation only in name a district in which Machigi is one major player
and where the Shadow Guild retains a major stronghold. Protect her? Ilisidi is hellbent on
settling scores with the Shadow Guild and her reasons for this trip and this company now
become clear. One human diplomat and his own bodyguard suddenly seem a very small force to
defend her from what she is setting in motion.
