After the events of The Burning, life in New Purley has settled. Excel has disappeared, the Camanos plan for a wedding, and Daimon finds personal stability. However, the reprieve is short-lived when Kim returns with harrowing news and a difficult request. The scope widens in this second book of the Link series, and many mysteries are the story of Daimon's name, the profound repercussions of the 618 echoes, and the origins of the Moralist Party. Who will steer humanity into the future, and will that person be able to live with the consequences?