Dana Hearthkin was an orphan and an urchin. Scraping out a living on the streets of Karelmar through petty thievery, she and her friend Branton had no idea of the danger they were about to plunge themselves into. Karelmar is rife with political unrest, with the dominant noble house, the DeGrans, desperately trying to hold the balance of power in court, whilst King Andrenian seeks to make the city a safer, better place. Only when Dana meets Callum, a City Watchman, does she begin to understand that life should be about more than mere survival.