The fast-paced adventures on the remote planet Spatterjay, a dangerous waterworld filled with lethal biology, continue in the sequel to The Skinner.

Sable Keech, a reification previously deceased for more than seven hundred years, is now a walking dead man, resurrected under mysterious circumstances that may have a lot to do with the virus native to the exotic but deadly remote ocean world Spatterjay. As word of his adventures (The Skinner) continue to spread, the planet has become a pilgrimage site for other reifs hoping to meet similar fates.

The allure of the virus--which promises something close to immortality, even if it comes at terrible biological cost--has brought other beings to the off-Polity world as well. An ancient hive mind may be after the poison "sprine" crucial to the virus's immortality. Deep in the ocean, a vicious alien prador has awakened from a long, virus-induced coma. And Sniper, an AI assigned as the planet's warden, finally receives his new drone shell. It's better than his old one, with powerful engines, more lethal weapons, and thicker armour. He's going to need them.