"Steffan Dekkard is an isolate, one of the small percentage of people who are immune to the projections of empaths. As an isolate, he has been trained as a security specialist and he and his security partner Avraal Ysella, a highly trained empath are employed by Axel Obreduur, a senior Craft Minister and the de facto political strategist of his party. When a respected Landor Councilor dies of "heart failure" at a social event, because of his political...

After his patron is assassinated, Counselor and Isolate Steffan Dekkard must handle political infighting and ongoing assassination attempts while uncovering who is supplying arms to insurrectionists. "In Contrarian, protests against unemployment and poor harvests have become armed riots as the people sink deeper into poverty. They look to a government struggling to emerge from corruption and conspiracy. Recently elected to the Council of Sixty-Six,...