After a disastrous tv appearance, Ben is kidnapped. He wakes up in a palatial home surrounded by sand and scorching heat, and judging by the language he hears, Ben realizes he’s in the Middle East. His “host” has one task for him to accomplish, but it violates every tenet of his skill, so he refuses.

Meanwhile, two of the Wise Ones have been murdered, and a third is missing. Mesmo is preoccupied with finding the responsible individual, while Ben’s mother, Laura, is beside herself. With her son missing and her partner away, Laura is overcome by grief and loneliness in the long battle her little family has fought since the Cosmic Fall.

The latest Ben Archer book is filled with suspense, anguish, and deep, committed love. It’s the most intense chapter of Ben and Mesmo’s journeys yet, creating the perfect setting for the next and final novel in the series.