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The war has been raging for a hundred years... and humanity is close to defeat.

Santhenar is locked in conflict with the lyrinx -- intelligent, winged predators from the Void who are desperate to gain their own world. And despite the development of mechanical battle clankers, and mastery of the crystals that drive them, humanity is losing. The enemy is destroying its nodes of magical power, one by one.

Tiaan, a clever but naïve crystal worker in a clanker manufactory, is testing a new kind of crystal when she overhears an enchanting young man, Minis, speaking from far away. The crystal has woken her gift for geomancy, the most powerful of all the Secret Arts, and the most perilous. It is a talent that both humanity and its enemies are desperate to control.

Falsely accused of sabotage by Irisis, a malicious rival, Tiaan flees for her life. But soon she is stalked by the outcast, wingless lyrinx, Ryll, who plans to use her in his dreadful flesh-forming sorcery.

From afar, Minis advises and guides Tiaan and she now sees him as more than a friend. Aching for him, Tiaan follows his instructions all the way to Tirthrax, the tallest mountain in all the Three Worlds, where a nightmare awaits her...

The Aachim have invaded with an irresistible fleet of battle constructs -- and their embittered leader, Vithis, demands half the world.

Santhenar, on its knees after a hundred years of war against the lyrinx, is in no position to resist. But even if the Council of Scrutators agrees to Vithis's demands, can anything satisfy his thirst for vengeance?

Tiaan, now feeling utterly betrayed, is hunted through the abandoned city of Tirthrax by an implacable Nish, who burns at her previous rejection of his advances, and blames her for the invasion.

The future of the world rests in the hands of three flawed people. Tiaan, whose geomancy holds the key to the power that can save or destroy humanity. Nish, who has sworn to redeem himself by bringing her to justice.

And beautiful, brave, haunted Irisis, whose great talents are hidden even from herself.

The magical node has failed, leaving humanity's battle clankers, and the Aachim's deadly constructs, useless.

The great battle has been lost. Now hordes of alien lyrinx are swarming out of their underground cities, intending to destroy the survivors.

Tiaan is held prisoner by a vengeful Vithis, who is determined to seize control of her gift for geomancy. Nish, accused of betraying her to the Aachim, is condemned by his own father. Irisis, falsely convicted of high treason, has run for her life.

The fate of humanity depends on one wily old man, Scrutator Xervish Flydd. But his enemy, the vicious Chief Scrutator Ghorr, blames him for humanity's disastrous defeat.

Flydd is sent to die a brutish death as a slave, hauling ironclad clankers out of the battlefield mire until his heart bursts under the strain...

In a few minutes of overwhelming violence, the Council's air-dreadnought fleet has destroyed Fiz Gorgo's defences.

Flydd, Irisis and their small band of rebels are to be executed in a brutal aerial spectacle designed to reinforce Chief Scrutator Ghorr's power and majesty.

Nish is their one remaining hope. But Nish is trapped in a burning watchtower, and hunted by both the scrutators and his tormented former lover, Ullii, whose twin brother he accidentally killed. Before Nish can hope to rescue his friends, he must convince Ullii to spare him, then overcome the most powerful cabal of wizards in the world -- as well as the Council's four hundred crack guards.

Yet even if he succeeds, to win the war the rebels still have to defeat the scrutators and overthrow Nennifer, the corrupt Council's dread bastion, before the rampaging lyrinx overwhelm all Santhenar.