Curtis Macurdy is a simple, Depression-era farmer married to the beautiful and exotic Varia. Varia is kidnapped and drawn back to her home in the parallel world of Yuulith. Macurdy follows her, but is im­me­di­ate­ly enslaved. After some training as a shaman, he shows promise as a fighter, and is sent to an elite regiment. He breaks out a few months later with two friends. Soon they fall in with outlaws and Macurdy quickly rises to the top, leading a successful rebellion.

Meanwhile, Varia is back with the Sisterhood, which she forswore long before. The Sisterhood are a sort of cut-rate Bene Gesserit order, with a long-range breeding plan. She escapes and is soon captured by a party of the ylvin and eventually falls in love with the leader.

Moderately en­ter­tain­ing swords-and-sorcery fantasy.