The Quantum String Quartet decides to try to set aside their differences and band together for mutual protection, though that's easy to say but hard to do. All four return to New Mexico, seeking to find others of their kind.

In Colorado, they discover an innocent Down Syndrome girl. Alandra's aging parents have devoted their lives to hiding her psychic ability. They fear they will no longer be able to protect her from those who would exploit her ability to extract pure precious metals from abandoned gold mines.

The mysterious attacks on Ember continue. To protect themselves, the five begin to overcome their conflicts and jealousies and create The Quintet—in which each complements the others abilities and deformities.

Through Gina's bizarre dreams, harnessed in a Bolton-designed dream cage, the Quintet discovers that somewhere in the Utah wilderness, someone is teleporting bombs into government offices. This person can only be someone who shares their power to manipulate the strings of the universe, but seems to be supporting a survivalist's plans for world domination. 

Gina, seeking to create the family she never knew, impetuously decides that only she has the power to find their mate and confront him. She discovers that the head of the survivalists, The General, has chained his deaf son, Lee, by threatening his mother, but Gina's power alone is insufficient to rescue them. When Lee's mother dies from abuse, Gina is trapped with Lee in The General's underground redoubt. 

Uncertain that Bolton, George, and Alandra can quickly recruit military help from the government, Ember enters the Utah compound alone to rescue Gina. Instead, she is caught in The General's trap. When the rest of the Quintet arrives, they, too, are trapped. Ember has a plan to free them, but she must choose between two evils: helping The General or risking the lives of her loved ones by using her power.

The Quintet wants to rescue their deaf mate, but must wrestle with their fears of using their vast powers, which can have devastating unintentional consequences.

Ember risks her own life because she refuses to sacrifice the weakest member of their team. In doing so, she destroys The General's threat to enslave humanity.

United after all their adventures, The Sextet members have discovered one another and revealed their deepest values. They have grown in skill and sophistication, becoming, in the end, more fully human, ready to find the rest of their mates and pursue further adventures.

What Reviewers Said

Weinberg has produced a delightful book that kept building both in story and in character development as you progressed. The processes of ferreting out the puzzle pieces with the characters as the adventure took them out of their comfort zones is exhilarating, and just when you think you see the outline of the picture the author brings in new characters and information to make you start all over again. Adventure. Mystery. And something … unusual. - tlcalderone, LibraryThing Early Reviewers

This book was an interesting read that always kept me wondering what would happen next. The book focus's on a group of young adults who were born with deformities but also special powers. As they find each other and their lives become integrated you can see the character's growing.

Because they are complex people, you can care for them and care about what happens to them. On occasion the shifts in point of view can be disorienting but it doesn't take long for the author to tie the new views into the progressing storyline. I enjoyed the read overall and if a sequel is released I hope to read it as well! - Unidragon, LibraryThing Early Reviewers (NOTE: There is a sequel, The Quantum String Band)