Hope rises on the frontier while dreams die in empires.
In the aftermath of her mother's death, Urpa's father has gone silent, deepening her loneliness and hardening her hatred for the empire that invaded her island. When she discovers her father has joined a revolutionary movement, she sees a chance to reconnect with him and a way to bring the invaders to justice.
After years of schooling, Denti arrives at a new colonial outpost, ready to work as an interpreter for his father and the local governor. But the locals are hostile, his father is consumed by work, and Denti finds himself completely alone. His hopes lift when he meets a local girl whose curiosity about the empire sparks an unexpected friendship.
Loyalty, friendship, and family are tested when Urpa and Denti discover that A Spear Once Thrown cannot be taken back.