The novel "The Blades of the Maksars" continues the story of Artyom's adventures as he walks the Path that connects all parallel worlds. Travelling along the Path, Artyom arrives in the land of the Maksars.
The Maksars, who possess superhuman abilities, are almost entirely devoid of any morality, wage ceaseless wars against one another, and cruelly oppress their slaves. They were also masters at remodelling their own bodies and those of their servants, transforming them into terrible monsters. This is one of the first novels in Russian science fiction about superhumans.
The entire story is pervaded by a rather dark atmosphere of cruelty, betrayal, and murder. And the main hero takes further steps in his transformation from a human being into something else entirely.