Morning Star sends Blue Heron and the thief Seven Skull Shield east towards Cofitachequi, where a threat beyond the Appalachian Mountains may endanger Cahokia’s distant colonies. Their route follows the Mississippi, Tennessee and mountain river systems through communities resentful of Cahokian expansion.
The expedition must manage hostile territory, internal betrayal and the ambitions of a companion determined to destroy Blue Heron. By moving beyond the capital, the novel examines how Cahokia’s religious and political influence spreads through settlements that may adopt Mississippian institutions without accepting control from the great city.