Not yet thirty years old, Cayleb Ahrmahk has won the most crushing naval victories in human history. He's smashed a hostile alliance of no less than five princedoms and won the hand of the beautiful young Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm. Cayleb and Sharleyan have created the Charisian Empire, the greatest naval power in the history of Safehold, and they've turned Charis into a place of refuge for all who treasure freedom. The Church of God Awaiting, which controls most of Safehold, has decreed their destruction. A juggernaut is rumbling down on Charis, but Merlin Athrawes, a cybernetic avatar and advisor, plus a handful of extraordinary human beings stand in its path. The Church is about to discover just how potent the power of human freedom truly is.