Ralph's mother Alice, Greatgrandmistress of the Telegraphers Guild, has prostituted, killed, and manipulated her way to almost godlike power and influence. Which is reflected in an equally godlike attitude of ruthlessness and condescension toward others, tempered by beauty and charm. She would do anything -anything- for her adored son; except let him escape her influence. That influence is offset in the first part of the book by a lower class first love who may be Alice's equal in will and Ralph's soulmate in intellect. A relationship Alice encourages at first, but whose end has her imprint all over it. The rest of the book picks up their lives, and their child's, years later as Ralph has succeeded to the Greatgrandmastership, still under Alice's influence, while society as a whole is falling apart into polarized revolt and war. Their lives crash together in a stormy vortex of change and prices paid that may also bring the current Age of Light down with them... and will that be wholly accidental?

This is a highly atmospheric story, literary in style, peopled with characters who manage to be both archetypes and flesh and blood people. It bounces around a bit and is rather too non-linear for my taste. But it's also stylishly told, with the story itself really secondary to the people populating it and the effect of events upon them, with a bit of social commentary underneath. Which can be fascinating, if not always easy, reading.