On Earth, six million B.C., two species of alien ruled: the graceful humanoid Tanu and their twisted brethren, the Firvulag. Then, men from the twenty-second century Earth arrived through a one-way time tunnel — and soon, the aliens were locked in a battle to the death, for the humans had upset the precarious balance of power that existed between them.

But when the tides of combat had receded, no one group held firm control, though Aiken Drum, man of no woman born, had declared himself the Nonborn King. As Aiken faces opposition from skeptical Tanu factions and the revitalized Firvulag, another menace emerges: a group of fearsome rogues from the year 2083, led by Marc Remillard, seeking to seize control of the time-portal.

The Nonborn King features the same blend of adventure, rich pageantry, humor, and fantastic elements that characterized The Many-Colored Land and The Golden Torc.