Amari and Taliya live in a world where magic is a kind of energy running through things. In the crowded marketplaces of Castor—a port town—various races mingle, such as horned beings, winged beings, shapeshifters, and artificers. Taliya possesses the ability to control rivers and generate fog; she is also the world's greatest thief. She and Amari employ their skills in the service of the Underground Resistance, a ragtag band of rebels seeking to counter the much-hated Empire.

When a teenager named Erika, who has lived her entire life in an underground realm, finds her way to the "Upside," she meets the two women and joins their rebellion. They and some others are assigned the task of performing a dangerous heist, breaking into a fortress belonging to the Governor of Tera, a fortress protected by seemingly impassable battlements and a garden of deadly plants. Communicating via telepathy, they succeed in penetrating the magic runes that permeate the building. However, their nighttime assault draws unwelcome attention, and soon the three women are being pursued by the Night Witches.

Although the story is told from several perspectives, the most fully developed character, and by extension, the most compelling, is Erika. The chapter in which she's introduced is wonderfully effective in its simplicity. While other characters are first shown in magical combat, Erika is portrayed as lost and frightened. These give her a vulnerability and a sense of interiority that bond the reader to her immediately. She remains the book's best feature. The worldbuilding is thorough, and the story may appeal to fans of Laini Taylor and Leigh Bardugo.

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