The first in a series of novels set in one of the most extraordinary fantasy settings since Gormenghast - the vertical city of Thaiburley.
From its towering palatial heights to the dregs who dwell in The City Below, it's an incredible creation. When Tom, a teenage street thief from the depths, ventures into the uppermost levels to impress a girl, the last thing he expects to do is witness a murder.
Accused of the crime, he must use all of his knowledge of the ancient city to flee certain death.