Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems throughout the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire on the ruins of an alien civilization, secrets and threats grow. In the dead systems beyond the gates, where things more unusual than new planets are hidden, Elvy Okoye is desperately trying to understand the nature of the genocide that happened before the appearance of the first man, and to find a weapon for war against almost unimaginable forces. But this knowledge may cost more than she can pay. In the heart of the Laconian Empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to share the burden of power with her god-seeking father. The palace is full of intrigue and danger, sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortazar and devilish captive James Holden are just two of them. But Teresa has her own head on her shoulders and secrets unknown even to her father-emperor. And across the entire expanse of the human empire, the Rocinante team, divided by circumstances, is fighting rearguard battles against the Duarte regime. The old order is forgotten, and a future under the eternal rule of Laconia seems increasingly inevitable, and with it a war that humanity can only lose. After all, courage and ambition are not enough to fight against the horror lurking between worlds...