This is Batty‘s story, and Ben‘s too, as Batty approaches her 11th birthday. That‘s a jump of about five years from the last book (and since the first three happened over about two years it feels abrupt). There‘s a lot of heartbreak here, with backstory about how Lizzy (mom) died, the recent loss of Hound tearing a hole in Batty‘s heart, Nick‘s all-too-brief leave from war, and Skye battling Jeffrey‘s crush and everyone losing in the process.