As the Thirty Years' War enters its second year, Bohemian Protestants continue their rebellion against the Catholic Hapsburg dynasty which has ruled the German states with an iron fist for more than three hundred years. Like the rest of Europe, this once great empire remains divided along multiple fault lines; and across Europe, various religious sects, social classes, and nations continue to battle one another in a war of unprecedented scope and savagery. Already caught up in this massive conflict are two very beautiful but very different women. Lady Atlantis Vanessa von Stormsong, the only child of a wealthy Catholic Archduke, has known a life of power and privilege; meanwhile, Sarlatova, a poor Protestant who lives among thieves and outlaws, knows practically nothing of her past. These two strangers seem to have nothing in common except for a strong faith in the same God. But as their paths cross again and again, and as they try to navigate a world dominated by violent and powerful men, these two remarkable women begin to realize that they are inextricably linked by a power far greater than anything Europe has ever seen.