The novel begins with the Patternmaster, Rayal, in bed with Jansee, his lead wife and sister.

For a year, there have been no major attacks from the "Clayarks"; mutated humans the Patternists have been in constant battle against.

Aside from Jansee, Rayal killed all of his siblings to become Patternmaster, and to lead the telepathic race through the powerful connections between the Patternists, known as the Pattern.

As the couple is leaving, they encounter two Patternists; Joachim, a Housemaster whom Teray is apprenticed to, and Jer, an outsider.

The two inform Teray of the recent Clayark raid, and tell him of their plans to visit Coransee on their way to Joachim's house.

Coransee informs him that they are full brothers and asks him, he being his only threat as Patternmaster, if he wants to control the Pattern.

Teray refuses Coransee's deal, because he wishes to implant controls on him, and he's made an outsider in charge of the mutes.

Joachim brings a journeyman named Michael and others to Coransee's House to investigate two charges against him in an attempt to help Teray escape.

On their travels, Teray and Amber discover that she is pregnant with his child, and Coransee tries to force them to break their link.

The Patternmaster's House includes journeymen who share equivalence with officials, but have limited power.

Teray becomes a muteherd (the role of directing the mutes of a House) and he understands that although his power in the household is small, he takes his responsibility seriously.

Teray's strength along with his greater sense of responsibility than his brother, makes him the likelier and worthier candidate to become the Patternmaster, which he eventually accomplishes.

Butler also makes the distinction of the strength of the community over the individual in the contrast of the characters Joachim and Coransee.

Publishers Weekly noted, "The author carefully spells out the ground of her unique world, and the ensuing story of live, chase and combat is consistently attention-holding.

Wagner from SF Reviews.net says that "Butler has yet to get a handle on how best to deliver the subtextual social commentary that would give the series its depth.

"[4] In 1992, Orson Scott Card rejects Patternmaster as ‘‘more magic romance than hard science fiction," but also praises her work for making the characters realistic and "touching on issues of freedom and slavery, power and responsibility that have made all her writings such vibrant studies of the ethics of power and submission.