Horace is missing. Months have passed since he was sent on a military mission to the court of the Emperor of Nihon-Jin but he has failed to return. Evanlyn is worried, and in company with Will and Alyss, she sets out to discover what has
become of their old friend.
They find that Horace has become embroiled in Nihon-Ja politics. The arrogant Senji Sect has rebelled against the rightful Emperor and Horace has chosen to stay and lend support to the deposed ruler. Now he and Will must turn farm and forest workers into a fighting force that can face the highly trained Senji warriors, while Alyss and Evanlyn must overcome their long-standing rivalry to seek aid from a mysterious group of mountain dwellers.
Although little is known about Nihon-Ja at this time, the name suggests that it may be based off of Japan. This is because "Nihon" can be translated as "Land of the Rising Sun" such as in the book Nihon Shoki (aka The Chronicles of Japan). In Japanese language, 'Nihon-Ja' can be referred as a Japanese person.
