The story takes place about a year after the events of the first book, focusing more on the characters Odysseus, Kalliades, and Banokles. It revolves around the events leading to the war between Agamemnon and Priam, and the years leading up to the siege of Troy. The plot also details how friends become enemies and enemies become friends. The book includes many battles, is vividly described for easy visualization, and features engaging and likable characters. There's a nice twist at the start of the book involving Helikaon and how he overcomes his predicament, demonstrating how knowledge can be seen as mysticism.