Patera Silk, who has received enlightenment from a god, has risen from a humble priest to ruler of his city-state. Revolution and war have broken out, and the mysterious gods have intervened in human affairs in ways that make them appear as much like a dysfunctional family as immortals. An unknowable crisis has been building. And now this great tale reaches its climax in Exodus from the Long Sun. The Whorl, the huge generation starship sent out from Urth, is discovered to have already reached its destination. An entirely unexpected future awaits as Patera Silk and the other inhabitants are confronted with the world of an alien race.