A downed terraforming ship. An ice planet. A hostile alien race. Delia Kemp has had better expeditions.

Stranded, alone and hunted by the native Skelt for her scientific knowledge, Delia is chased across the undiscovered world of Valinda as its long winter comes to an end and a blistering summer approaches.

Strange new companions, phantasmagorical landscapes, and a death-defying dash across Valinda's fiery equator lead Delia ever close to the valley of Mahkanda - where salvation just might be waiting...