In Book 2 of the "Golden Queen" trilogy, Maggie Flynn has become, by test of combat, the new Golden Queen. Maggie and her companions, the bounty hunter Gallen O'Day and the sentient bear Orick, face an attack by Dronons on a planet where humans have achieved the pinnacle of genetic engineering. The trio must stop the invaders while guarding the secret of Maggie's whereabouts, for she is only the Golden Queen until her champion, Gallen, is defeated by a Dronon challenger.