In ancient Ottopon, a genius weaver of silk is more than a nameless artist, she pulls the strings of status and social mobility in a rank-obsessed kingdom. Her own beginnings are a mystery. But unraveling her origins will vault her to the pinnacle of power. But it will threaten everything she holds dear.  As Furi labors at her loom, these things are more than they appear: Ansei, a rootless gardener with a life-saving touch;  Madame Sato, a noblewoman and kitsuke artist who would fashion Furi after the image of her own dead daughter;  The princess of a figurehead emperor with treasonous loyalties;  A plague with a mysterious death route; and  The rumor of war with an unknowable aggressor.