Kelric Valdoria, whose Skolian family runs the interplanetary Imperiate that rules the over the known galaxy, is out between the stars when his spaceship is attacked. Kelric survives because his ship drops far from the attackers and crashes on Coba, a planet that is outside the Imperiate's rule. As Kelric recovers from his wounds, he finds himself in a very different world from the one he knows.
Coba is ruled by 12 Estates, all of whom are run by women. Men are generally held in low esteem beyond their sexual desirability, and have duties as caretakers for their children. Women can have more than one husband, as long as she has the means to provide for them. Kelric's attempted escapes, his entanglements with high-placed women who desire him, his concern for his children, his rise as a high-level expert in this society's all-important game of Quis, provide great entertainment in this novel set in Asaro's highly praised Skolian Empire.
