The destruction of the embargo has made Darynn Mark a lot of enemies: an interstellar bounty hunter, the Grand Cardinal, families of the fallen. On top of that, Darynn struggles with his new responsibility to discover the truth behind Vastire's gods, while battling his growing internal desire to destroy.

Darynn and Fyra must travel to the frozen planet Yiptae to find the final pieces of the gods' puzzle. But Yiptae has problems of its own, from a violent revolution to the assassination of a key immigrant rights activist. In the middle of it all is Kaylaa, whose mysterious past leads to new opportunities, conflicts, and enemies.

Darynn, Fyra, and Kaylaa must work with new allies to solve the secret to the past while navigating the revolution and solving the murder. If they don't, they will be buried in a frozen wasteland, and the truths of three worlds will be obscured forever.