The story covers the journey of ex-soldier and State Department employee Harry Creek in his work to acquire a sheep of the Android's Dream breed for the coronation ceremony of an alien race known as the Nidu.

During this, the Earth government injunct with the Common Confederation courts that Robin Baker is not human, and actually the sole member of her own unique species, and entitled to protection from the CC.

During this, the Church also declares that Robin is the Evolved Lamb, as she has completed a majority of their prophecies, effectively making her a living goddess, a sovereign, and the single richest person on earth over the course of several minutes.

[2] The SF Site compared it to "prime-period Robert A. Heinlein", lauding it as "pretty near perfect light planetary romance" and "remarkably well-crafted entertainment" (despite "a place or two where Scalzi noodges the plot-logic a little hard").

[3] SF Signal likened it to "an Elmore Leonard [co-written] with Keith Laumer", and praised its "whip-smart writing" and "realistic everyday dialogue", but faulted the pacing and exposition in the first quarter of the book.