Bren and Illisidi must protect young prince Cajeiri and the human children who have come to visit for his birthday from the dangerous split compromising the Assassin's Guild.

Civil war on the world of the atevi is finally over. And Cajeiri, son and heir to Tabini-aiji, is about to celebrate his fortunate ninth birthday. Bren Cameron, brilliant human dipolmat allied with Tabini, has managed to arrange a visit for Cajeiri's three special associates from the starship Phoenix--ordinary human children who developed a bond with Cajeiri during his two years in space. After a year of political upheavel, this is a happy event:...

It's been a year of upheaval, since Bren Cameron's return from space - a year since he and the aiji-dowager, one of his most powerful atevi allies, returned home from their two-year interstellar mission to find the government overthrown and their world in chaos. Now, at last, things on the atevi world seem to be on the right track, and Bren hopes that life may soon become much more tranquil. But something is coming, quietly, stealthily - just the...

"In the east, outright warfare has tied down the Assassins' Guild, and that region is in confusion. Ready to hand is an age-old feud in the west, where the Master of Ashidama Bay has long hated the Edi people of the north shore and equally hated the Aishidi'tat for bringing the Edi to his shores--and hatred is a resource the Shadow Guild knows how to use to its advantage. Bren Cameron is tasked with getting Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, back to the capital...