January Lee is of royal descent, part of the ruling class that lives out their lives on accelerated, 'Lightstepped' worlds, where a single day is a lifetime on a normal planet. But her 'holy ailment,' which allows her to see the truth behind the Primogenitor's lies, marks her for banishment to the outer worlds. But an unexpected rescue sets January on a course to overthrow the empire her family founded and change the galaxy forever.