Gormon Hughes is 19, thin as a broom, and has - not for the first time in his life - been swept into the path of trouble. Poor, recently heartbroken, and indebted to the sort of people who file their teeth into needle points and devour wriggling bloated spiders for fun, Hughes sets his sights on salvation. That salvation is the Scarlet Citadel, a wealthy organization of pageant fighters, monster hunters, and secret keepers. With the aid of strange oracles, rare good fortune, and a unique power that bubbles like champagne in the core of Hughes’ being, he must join the Citadel and advance himself. But the ladder of progression is harsh and dark. The rungs are slippery. And falling means disaster…