In the style of Ayn Rand, Robert Heinlein, and Harry Turtledove, Branaugh writes passionately about individual rights vs. collective interests. Set in the near future, after the collapse of the U.S. federal government leads to a system of warring city-states, the story follows the interconnected lives of six major characters from various social strata and locales. Branaugh explores issues of freedom, liberty, faith, trust and revolution in a world organized around collectivist notions of security and material wealth.