The apocalypse wasn't what anyone expected—no rising flood waters, no zombies, no nuclear bombs. Instead, monsters. Their sudden invasion left the world in shatters, and now, decades later, all that's left of human civilization are a few nomadic bands struggling to survive off the land. Askari was born to this world, and lives, fights, and survives alongside the community that raised her. But when she breaks one too many of the community's rules, her punishment is leave. Armed with her bow and blade, Askari sets off alone, guided only by a map and the promise that if she can find a book hidden in a nearby town, then she can return. But what can one person do alone in such a harsh, violent landscape? How will she survive? Askari faces a challenge that will force her to learn not only about the world she lives in, but question what she believes about herself.

Head down, mouth shut—this is Askari’s new mantra. A pall still hangs over the Baratok community from the rarohan attack only a few months before, and all Askari wants is to stay out of trouble and help her grieving community heal. Until a stranger rides into camp. He offers her a chance to obtain something rare and valuable—monster blood with healing properties that could help prevent more of her people from dying. But when the mission goes wrong, she becomes the target of a relentless monster who won’t stop pursuing her until she and everyone around her are dead. Her only thought is to lead it away from the Baratok community, even if that means sacrificing herself. Injured, scared, and with only Harcos and Shujaa to help her fight, Askari flees from the Baratok with the monster on her tail. As she runs, fights, overcomes injuries, and encounters unimaginable terrors, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever make it back home—or if she even wants to.

They’ve barely escaped from the voro with their lives. Now Askari, Harcos, Shujaa, and Fane are seeking refuge in the one place secure enough to give them time to heal: Greystone City. The city welcomes them with open arms, and Askari discovers a way of life she never believed was possible. In Greystone City, people are doing more than just surviving—they’re living. Plagued by nightmares from the City of Dod, Askari throws herself into the work of the city as she waits for her friends to heal, hoping to outrun her trauma. But the settlement is not as safe as it seems. Politics divide the people, and the new surge of monsters has brought a flood of refugees to the city. And monsters are lurking everywhere—even within the city’s seemingly safe confines. With every minute that passes, Askari regains more of her strength—and Devor gets closer to finding and destroying the Baratok. Askari has to decide: remain safely in the city, or brave the monster-ridden wilderness alone?