Young Hinkkel from the House of Claverel. rejected by his own family due to his inability to be a warrior, he finds new relatives among the sand cats - creatures considered in the Outer Lands to be perhaps the most important enemies of man. Meanwhile, an imminent danger looms over the five kingdoms and all the ruling Houses of the empire they make up - an invasion of huge semi-intelligent rats, merciless to all living things. Only the unity of people and sand cats can stop the threat. But, unfortunately, not all Houses at war with each other understand this.