On a moonlit desert world of armored machine-creatures, Dworn begins the final night of his wanderyear with nearly empty fuel tanks and a long road home. Young, hunted, and desperate to reach his horde, he must read tracks, traps, and hidden caches with the discipline of a seasoned beetle warrior, because one mistake in this harsh landscape can mean burial, starvation, or worse. His journey becomes a rite of passage as he tracks prey through dunes and rocky washes, refuels under threat, and survives a brutal ambush by a massive earthmover-like enemy, racing on with only his nerve and turret gun to protect him. But home is not waiting intact. Near the ancient Barrier, Dworn discovers overturned, burning beetle machines and the golden scarab emblem of his father Yold among the wreckage, turning his longing for praise into grief and a vow of vengeance. As he searches for survivors, he confronts scavengers, witnesses a deadly attack by strange tiny machines and silent flying assailants, and learns that the Barrier has been breached. In a desperate final turn, he seizes control of a spider woman and her companion to force a guide back to his machine, fighting through a world of ruthless predators, broken loyalties, and deadly mystery. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.