Caeden was once part of a group of immortals known as the Venerate, who believed they were serving El (God).

Caeden hoped to use free will and time travel to save the life of his dead wife.

He turned against the other Venerate, trapping several of them in prisons known as Tributaries, which stole their Essence to power the Boundary.

Nethgalla taunts Asha into stabbing her with Whisper, a sword which transfers a victim's Essence to its wielder.

Kirkus Reviews called the book "vastly overelaborate" but "relentlessly gripping", stating that fans of the first novel would enjoy it.

[1] Publishers Weekly called the novel "dense" and "suspenseful", predicting that it would be enjoyed by fans of epic fantasy.

[2] A reviewer for Barnes & Noble praised the emotional weight of Caeden's journey, as well as the quick pacing.

[3] Booklist compared Islington's writing positively to the works of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan, while RT Book Reviews recommended the novel for fans of the genre, praising the "suspense and backstabbing political intrigue.