Seluban has done the impossible in escaping Coward's Forge, and he has rescued the Chon'ith Empire from certain defeat. However, those he deposed are not easily cowed, and backed by passionate beliefs, they now rally to undermine the Awakening. Trust is at a premium, and at every turn Seluban's enemies prove cunning and ruthless.

Delicate and previously unfathomable negotiations with humanity are sabotaged, Seluban's family is threatened, and sensitive research outposts are targeted in deadly attacks. Sent into turmoil, Seluban must find a way to balance himself and decipher who is friend and who is foe, and he must do so quickly, before everything he fought so hard to save tears itself apart.