Abandoned in space as a baby, rescued and raised by three young space prospectors, Acorna - the unicorn girl - has at last found her own kind, the telepathic and sensitive Linyaari. But Acorna has not led the life of a normal Linyaari female. She has experienced many dangers and accomplished much in the worlds of space - she has lived amongst humankind, learned their ways, received their love and affection - and has also made enemies who resent her miraculous powers. Now, restored to the Linyaari world, she finds her new lifestyle strange and - sometimes - frivolous. Welcomed with a lavish costume ball and an already chosen suitor, she begins to discover that there are unresolved problems amongst her people, and Acorna must strive to right an unspeakable wrong and defeat an enemy even more cruel than the Khleevi themselves.