The book starts about two years after the events in The Alton Gift, and is a direct continuation of that story. The book falls in the Darkover time period that the publisher has labeled "Modern Darkover", which succeeds the departure of the Terran Federation.
Characters
Comyn
Gareth Elhalyn-Hastur, Heir to Elhalyn and to the Crown of the Comyn.
Danilo Hastur, Gareth's father and the son of the late Regis Hastur
Miralys Elhalyn, Gareth's mother, the heiress of the Elhalyn Domain
Mikhail Lanart-Hastur, Regent of the Comyn.
Marguerida Alton-Hastur, Mikhail's wife.
Linnea Storn, Gareth's grandmother and Regis Hastur's wife, Keeper of the Comyn Tower
Danilo Ardais-Syrtis, the paxman and bredhyu to the late Regis Hastur, a close family friend.
Domenic Alton-Hastur, Mikhail and Marguerida's son.
Illona Rider, underkeeper of Neskaya Tower and the nedestro daughter of Lord Ardais, betrothed to Domenic.
Silvana of Nevarsin aka Kierestelli Hastur, the Keeper of Nevarsin Tower, the daughter of Regis and Linnea raised by the chieri.
Danilo Syrtis-Ardais, paxman to the late Regis Hastur.
Lew Alton, the old Lord Alton, Marguerida Alton's father, retired to Nevarsin after two heart attacks.
Hermes Aldaran, former Senator to teh Terran Federation
Dry Towners
Cyrillon Sensar, a Dry Towner merchant who has dealings with Gareth and Domenic.
Rahelle, Cyrillon's daughter.
Korllen, cook of Cyrillon's trading party
Tomas, Alric and Rakhal, members of Cyrillon's trading party
Dayan, Lord of Shainsa.
Merach, the sword arm of Dayan.
Hayat, Dayan's son.
Rivoth, the headman of Korllen's home village
Adahab, Rivot's eldest son.
Terrans
Poulos, a Terran arms dealer and smuggler, the captain of the Lamonica.
Offenbach, the ship's mate
Robard, Taz, Viss, Jory, Lakrin are the crew of the Lamonica
Cuinn, a village headman dealing with Poulos
Harris, the captain of the Grissom, a Terranan rebel ship in need of repair
Dauntless, a supposed Federation ship in pursuit of the Grissom
Jeram aka Jeremiah Reed, a Terranan regenade who stayed on Darkover when the Federation left.
Chieri
David Hamilton, the Terran doctor from The World Wreckers, living with the chieri
Keral, a chieri, David Hamilton's mate and Kierestelli's foster parent
Lianantheren, child of David and Keral, Kierestelli's foster sibling
Diravanariel, the chieri elder who cast Kierestelli out
Publication history
Mar 2013, DAW Books (DAW Collectors #1615), 978-0-7564-0797-1, 381pp, hardcover