Vivarium is a dangerous planet. Its mystical landscape is teeming with blood-thirsty creatures. On Vivarium, even the most vicious killers have predators. It's a world of hunters and hunted. And that's why everyone wants so bad to go there. After three and a half months asleep on a spaceliner, Fora is finally there—on Vivarium. Fora and her family are VIP guests at the wildlife park on the planet's rocky surface, so Fora gets access to any of the luxurious hotels and observation stations built in the middle of natural animal habitat. Fora's just glad to be there and see the incredible animals she's read so much about, but a few days into the trip, she knows something is terribly wrong. The park is supposed to be safe—huge teams of wranglers and high tech facilities protect the thousands of visitors from predators like the miasmor and the bricklebarb. Even the park's most dangerous attraction, the Darca, can be viewed in safety under the right circumstances. Though, the massive flying creatures are elusive—Fora can only hope of seeing one up close. One morning, Fora wanders off alone and runs into a wild darca. Instead of killing her instantly, the animal does something shocking, something magical, and Fora finds herself drawn to the ruthless killer. With the help of Daymus, a strange wrangler boy who catches darca every day, Fora hunts for the truths behind the mysteries of Vivarium, even as she comes face to face with a hunter that will threaten the very structure of the world. A hunter that's been hiding for generations.