When the arrival of human colonists in a faraway system unleashes a race of aliens formerly imprisoned within a giant force field, the aliens, having fought for centuries over scarce resources, turn to human space to fulfill their wants.

At the center of the galaxy is the Dreaming Void, an artificial black hole that may hold paradise within its walls. When a human named Inigo begins dreaming of what lies within the Void, the word spreads, triggering a religious pilgrimage into the Void and possibly a catastrophic expansion that threatens the peace of the Commonwealth Universe.

Araminta becomes the target of a galaxywide search by a government agent seeking to prevent the pilgrimage of a cult into the heart of the Void, while Edeard, the Waterwalker, finds himself faced with powerful new enemies.