It only takes a spark. They said that the first generation of man was brought low by its appetites: for knowledge, for wealth, for power. They said mankind’s voracity was so great, the Lord sent his own Daughter to bring fire and devastation to the world. The survivors were few, but over the course of centuries, they banded together to form a new civilization—the Descendancy—founded on the belief that the mistakes of the past must never be repeated. Brothers Clive and Clover Hamill, the sons of a well-respected Descendant minister, have spent their lives spreading that gospel. But when their traveling ministry discovers a community intent on rediscovering the blasphemous technologies of the past, a chain of events will be set in motion that will pit city against city…and brother against brother. Along with Gemma Poplin, Clive’s childhood sweetheart, and Paz Dedios, a revolutionary who dreams of overthrowing the Descendancy, Clive and Clover will each play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of this holy war, and the fate of humanity itself.

After their devastating journey from the Anchor to Sophia, Clive and Clover Hamill, Gemma Poplin, and Paz Dedios have all been separated—not only in space, but in their convictions. In the Anchor, Clive would like nothing better than to never speak with Paz again, but when he is tapped to help with her interrogation, the two of them begin to reconcile their differences, which don’t run nearly as deep as they expected. In Sophia, as Clover learns more and more about the city and its enigmatic director, Zeno, his faith in his mission begins to waver. And Gemma embarks on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual expansion that will open her eyes…if it doesn't kill her first.

From the New York Times bestselling author of We All Looked Up comes the exciting conclusion to the “haunting…beautiful and heartbreaking” (School Library Journal) Anchor & Sophia trilogy, where the rules of humanity come to a head in the final battle between two warring cities. In this thrilling conclusion to the Anchor & Sophia trilogy, the great war has finally begun. The Descendancy must fight for its survival against not only the Sophian army, but a Wesah nation newly galvanized by the Black Wagon Massacre. And four young people will once again find themselves at the center of the maelstrom. Accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Paz Dedios is on the run from the law...and the man she loves. Traumatized by the near-genocide of her people and the death of her lover, Athène is bent on revenge. Newly reunited in the Anchor, Clive and Clover Hamill will struggle to come to terms with the reappearance of a ghost from the past. Who will win the war for the future? And who will be left standing when it’s all over?