A young man obeys his father and vaults past the assumptions of his insular society in a bid for control of their people. Years later, his daughter does the same, but this time in an effort to escape her father's inflexible, dangerous control.

Their choices resonate through the background of the Children of the Desert series and shape the world. Presented here are their stories, along with six other intersecting tales. Rogues and priests, monsters and saviors, all make their own path through a complex world, affecting far more lives than they ever realize.

Time travel, morality, ethics, and culture clashes are on offer, along with notes on this world's religion, history, linguistics. and horses.

Power corrupts, people lie, rulers come and go. Nothing changes in the long run ...

... or does it?