The following version of this book was used to create this Study Guide: Roanhorse, Rebecca. Fevered Star. Saga Press. April 2022. First Saga Press Hardcover Edition.

The novel begins the day after the Convergence of the previous novel and the massacre of the Watchers. While this should have led to the moon overtaking the sun, it actually caused a permanent eclipse. Balam, who helped create Serapio to die as the avatar of the crow god, obtains a Manual of the Dreamwalkers and plans to use the magic in his goal of taking over Cuecola. With the Watchers dead, the treaty of Hokaia is broken, and Balam plans to recruit Hokaia and the Tovan clan, the Golden Eagle, to wage war. However, things become more complicated when Balam learns that Serapio survived and will likely be able to build an army from those who believe in the god he channeled during the Convergence.

Meanwhile in Tova, Serapio is desperate for someone to acknowledge him as a man, but everyone - including the captain of the Carrion Crow Shield named Okoa and the members of the cult called the Odohoaa - only see Serapio as the Odo Sedoh. He tries to find his love, Xiala, but fails when she falsely assumes that she is being chased by guards because she is a Teek. This causes Serapio to question who he is supposed to be until he convinces himself that he must finish his mother’s plan to kill the Sun Priest.

In Coyote’s Maw, Naranpa - who had thrown herself off of a bridge from the celestial tower to try and survive an assassination attempt by members of the Watchers - wakes up in the catacombs. She claws her way out of the earth and sees unusual light coming off of her skin before she breaks free and tracks down her brother, Denaochi. With the help of Zataya the witch, Naranpa learns that the Watchers are actually sorcerers and that she, as the Sun Priest, is the avatar of the sun god. So, she decides to work with Denaochi and the bosses of the Maw to defeat the Crow God Reborn (Serapio). However, her plans go awry when her brother is killed by one of the bosses and the leader of the treacherous Golden Eagle Nuuma escapes Tova. Knowing that war is coming, Naranpa decides to fight Serapio to dispel the eclipse.

Outside of Tova, Xiala inadvertently joins a former Priest of Knives, Iktan, on a journey to Hokaia alongside the Golden Eagle. Ziha, the camp’s leader and second daughter of Nuuma, tells Xiala that Iktan killed the Carrion Crow matron after Nuuma blamed a Sun Priest assassination attempt on Carrion Crow. However, Iktan is angry that the Golden Eagles killed Naranpa, unaware that she actually survived. Xiala, who still loves Serapio, hopes to save his life while others condemn him for the massacre. However, when Xiala learns that her mother, the Queen of the Teek, is still alive after Xiala thought she killed her years ago, she is forced back to Teek after causing the death of Lord Pech. However, she agrees to spy on the Teek for Balam in exchange for his promise to save Serapio during the war.

In the end, Naranpa and Serapio fight on Sun Rock. However, Naranpa realizes that they are both caught in an endless cycle between the crow and sun gods. So, she decides to heal the wound caused by the Sun Priest’s mask and tells Serapio to invite Tova so that they can survive the incoming war. The two agree to meet again in the future and Naranpa hopes that they can work together once she learns more about herself and her powers. Meanwhile, Serapio builds a fortress and prepares to fight any who oppose him.