Synopsis: From the back cover of the Tor first edition: Humans have colonized a thousand worlds and empires have risen and fallen. Now the Phoenix House rules the Thousand Suns from their planet Arthelion. And now the Emperor Gelasaar has won the mortal enmity of Eusabian, Lord of Vengeance, Avatar of Dol, the Ruler of Dol'jhar. In one swift instant that has taken more than twenty years to plan, Eusabian will strike, slaying Gelasaar's sons and taking the Emperor himself captive. And then Eusabian will sit on the Emerald Throne, and Dal'jhar will rule the Thousand Suns. But Brandon nyr-Arkud, the Emperor's scapegrace son, has chosen this moment to defy protocol and evade a ceremonial duty. And so he escapes the death prepared for him, and lives. Now the hopes of the Thousand Suns rests in the sensual, surprisingly capable hands of an aristocratic fugitive with an agenda all his own.