Seventeen years ago Stenwold witnessed the Wasp Empire storming the cityof Myna in a brutal war of conquest. Since then he has preached vainlyagainst this threat in his home city of Collegium, but now the Empire ison the march, with its spies and its armies everywhere, and the Lowlandslie directly in its path. All the while, Stenwold has been trainingyouthful agents to fight the Wasp advance, and the latest recruits includehis niece, Che, and his mysterious ward, Tynisa. When his home is violentlyattacked, he is forced to send them ahead of him and, hotly pursued, theyfly by airship to Helleron, the first city in line for the latest Waspinvasion.Stenwold and Che are Beetle-kinden, one of many human races thattake their powers and inspiration each from a totem insect, but he alsohas allies of many breeds: Mantis, Spider, Ant, with their own particularskills. Foremost is the deadly Mantis-kinden warrior, Tisamon, but othervery unlikely allies also join the cause. As things go from bad to worseamid escalating dangers, Stenwold learns that the Wasps intend to use thenewly completed railroad between Helleron and Collegium to launch alightning strike into the heart of the Lowlands. Then he gathers all ofhis agents to force a final showdown in the engine yard ...