In book six of das kaiser haus series, mad maxx finds himself the hostage of a new enemy. through a brutal series of events, the voter called malfred the mastermind has trapped the boy in his metal. as the elders rush to save their priceless collar, mad maxx's schizophrenic symptoms intensify. the plot thickens while the leaders of kaiser house prepare for an epic battle that refuses to take prisoners. the shards of mad maxx, always ready to serve their masters, grants a perfect service return for those who put them into harm's way. the five shards are left to fend for themselves when der hund is accidentally sent into the void. they find the task of discovering a path to escape their deadly situation far too complex to handle without their general's help. maximillian "births" a brilliant solution that they all hope will ultimately set the boy mad maxx free. that is if taube can manage to remember the reason he was created in the first place. madness and cruelty rein in the realm of mastermind malfred. unless the shards can halt their strengthening psychosis, and deepening despair, all seems lost. they will need to do the unthinkable to accomplish the unbelievable. by seeking the aid of the man that they hate the most, master peter.