This is rather unusual in Norton's science fiction in that the focus of the story is Roan Hume, a young female from an interstellar civilisation on the trail of Forerunner technology along with her cousin and uncle. Rather than technology failing the humans as is more usual in Norton's books, this book sees Roane being affected by the machinery that kept Clio mured in technological backwaters so much that she takes the side of the locals when it becomes a face-off between her Service oaths and the friendships she finds on this world. ( )

Offlas Kiel is looking for forerunner artifacts. On Clio he has a hope of finding some, it's a closed planet. Set up as a Psychocrat experiment it's an almost medieval world. When Offlas' niece, Roane gets pulled into the local politics, she has to choose between family and friends. She also has to choose between leaving the world as it is or helping it change.

An interesting read but not one of her best. ( )