To the Chicome people, an eclipse is a time of terror. When darkness falls, the barrier separating the heavens and the earth becomes unstable. Then come the ravening Tzitzimime--the star demons who thirst for human blood. Mayana and Ahkin know the full extent of the coming danger, but they must gather support or the Chicome Empire is doomed. As the eclipse nears, many maneuver for power in this deadly game of worlds ending. Metzi, Ahkin's treacherous sister, has seized control of the empire with the aid of the malevolent goddess known as the Obsidian Butterfly. But Metzi has no idea what the goddess has in store ... Yemania and Ochix face the wrath of both their peoples. Their forbidden liaison may draw ancient enemies together ... or rip the young lovers apart forever. And the princesses who battled fiercely for Ahkin's heart in The Seventh Sun meet again--but this time, they must join forces in order to survive. As for Ahkin and Mayana, the entire empire seems to want to keep them apart. Can their love endure the end of the world?

Sequel to: Jade bones.