The narrative of Livesuit shifts away from the specific characters of The Mercy of Gods to focus on an entirely different faction of humanity embroiled in an endless, galaxy-spanning conflict. The universe is dominated by the Carryx, an aggressive, empire-building alien collective. Humanity’s primary defense rests upon elite soldiers who pilot "livesuits"—highly advanced, biological armor systems.

Humanity is no longer the top predator in the universe; they are subverted by an ancient, vastly superior empire known as the Antechnoi.