A simple farm boy is led by a mystical phoenix to a book which contains the Word of God and faces great danger when he takes it from his home world on Barren to the planet Centre so it can be copied and shared.

Fifteen-year-old Aurion, being held hostage by a belligerent island king who is planning the conquest of their entire ocean planet, hopes to prevent war by introducing his enemies to the one true God.

As rebel colonies wage a war for independence from Earth, Randal and his cousin Veryan see their planet taken over by groups burning books and destroying machines.