In the aftermath of civil war, the world of the atevi is still perilously unstable. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with his son and heir, and his human paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to the Bu-javid, their seat of power. The usurper, Murini, has escaped to the lands of his supporters, but the danger these rebels pose is far from over. The world of the atevi has fragmented into two antagonistic political camps: the forward-thinking, pro-space, open-to-change Western Association, headed by Tabini, and the forces of traditional East: anti-space, opposed to change, distrustful of humans. Ilisidi, Tabini's grandmother, the aiji-dowager, has returned to her ancient castle in the East, for though she supports the rule of her grandson, she also has powerful ties in the lands of the rebels, and seeks to muster whatever support she can from among those enemy strongholds.In the heavily armed and tightly guarded Bu-javid, eight-year-old Cajeiri is horribly bored. The last two years of his life have been more fascinating than most children could imagine. Two years on an interstellar starship, surrounded by human children, a completely different environment, different culture, different mindset, new and different concepts and experiences, have left him craving excitement and the company of his peers - both human and atevi. Even Bren is too busy to spend much time with him. At loose ends and feeling deserted, Cajeiri resorts to playing pranks and causing mischief - two thing for which the already tense leaders at the Bu-javid have little patience.But unbeknownst to this dissatisfied youngster he has become a target for forces bent on destroying his father's rule and everything it stands for. There are those who are committed to ensuring that Cajeiri never lives to inherit the power his father now wields. Though still a child, Cajeiri embodies a unique threat to the venerable, tradition-defined lifestyle of his people. For this innocent young boy is the first atevi youth to have lived in a human environment, surrounded by human children. And after hundreds of years of fragile, tenuous atevi-human coexistence, Cajeiri may very well be the first atevi to ever truly understand the so similar yet so dangerously different aliens who share his home planet and threaten the hidebound customs of his race. Read Less