When the high sovereign of the rapidly industrializing realm of Ghavarim is murdered by a mysterious assassin, the rulers of the five kingdoms of the Federation are plunged into a vicious power struggle. Jason Tern, a noble captain from the borderlands, must battle shadowy half-human assailants with limbs of brass and steel while untangling an ever-widening web of lies and intrigue to discover the true identity of the killer before mounting tensions spark a bloody civil war.

Meanwhile, Nilya Valsu, a brilliant army engineer running from a hidden past, finds herself used as an unwitting pawn in an explosive plot with deadly consequences. Wracked by guilt, her sole chance for redemption lies with a man who would loathe her - but only if he knew her secret.

As the conflict intensifies between the magic-fueled technology of the opulent Westerners and the disaffected rebels of the war-torn East, all must fight for what they hold dear. Who will control the mysterious source of magical energy that beats at the heart of Ghavarim? Who will seize the sprawling capital as the musket smoke wafts over the horizon? And when the rapiers are sheathed, who will lie bloodied on the ground in the light of a vanishing glow?