Ever since he can remember, Rio Velo has had one purpose: ascend to his birthright and join his father as the Strigine. As the premier investigative arm of the royal Guli family, the Strigine has plunged into the darkest parts of Londess to keep the kingdom in the light. Rio has trained for years in combat, and has read every single book in the library... twice. So why can't he shake this nagging feeling of dread?

That dread only deepens when his first mission- a routine protection detail for a wealthy steel baron goes awry. Rio must journey through the soot-stained streets of the Smokestacks for answers, where shifting alliances, public unrest, and the emergence of a mysterious and dangerous order threaten to detonate the powder keg of tension. The fuse has been lit, will Londess burn?