While I do tend to like the books that come chronologically prior to "Rediscovery," this is a really great part of the series as well. ( )

I had forgotten, when I picked this up to read before it's sequel, that it's actually part of a chain that starts back with Sharra's Exile. This wasn't too bad, there were enough recaps, nicely handled, that I could keep up with the back story, but the details were a bit sketchy.

Hermes Aldaran, Lew's replacement at the Federation Senate has a flash of foresight and flees, dragging his non-Darkovan wife and children along. The Federation shortly thereafter goes to hell in a handcart, at least it appears so.

The terranan station chief and his men are flawed by ambition, hatred for Darkover, and having a reach that exceeds their grasp. They are initially unaware that Regis Hastur has also died, in fact he dies in the first or second chapter. Once they find this, they decide to attack the funeral procession (a plot device that's been used before, in Heritage of Hastur) although their plotting is undone by Domenic Hastur who has snuck out from home to see the Travelers perform and happens to spy things out.

From there the story follows two main threads. There is Nico and Hermes, and gradually other reinforcements, following the Travelers and trying to determine exactly what is going on. They reveal a more deep-set plot than the first one too, although that is not really developed in this book. The other thread is the developments in Comyn Castle. This splits a bit, into Katherine (Hermes' wife) starting to settle in (very badly) to life on Darkover, and the political machinations as various people try to overcome Mikhal's accession as Regis' heir for various reasons.

There is a largely clear and clean resolution, although there are a few bits lingering to be dealt with further on. ( )