The book tells the story of Kenton of the Red Blades a young warrior who is transported back in time to ancient Babylonia and finds himself embroiled in a conflict between the gods. Kenton is aboard a ship called the Ship of Ishtar which is captained by the god Shamash and crewed by a variety of mythical creatures including centaurs and satyrs. The ship is on a mission to rescue Ishtar the goddess of love and war from the underworld and restore her to her rightful place among the gods. As Kenton