This is the second volume of the Tao and Empire series. The series aims to recount the rise and fall of societal morals using as a basis an ancient Eastern philosophical text. In so doing, it strives to use this text as a constant, allowing the distortion of so-called conservative values for progressive means to be measured and viewed objectively.

Whilst this is not a course in imperial history, and does not pretend to focus on any particular historical power, it does try to identify the misunderstandings that were made. From one volume to the next we see not only the chronology of the hemisphere, but also in a certain way the chronology of the individual as he/she begins to perceive the world differently moving from childhood, through adolescence and on into the wild world of adulthood.

Still laden with naiveté, the Arcadian Angel uncovers the origins of human's self-centred drive for power. Yet still in its infancy, we see how the road to hell is truly paved with the best of intentions. Follow the collective mind on its next step in this journey towards purgatory, decadence and derision. The Arcadian Angel may be your last chance to taste the sweet nectar of our long-lost but original innocence.