An extraordinary vision of the future that puts dystopian fiction in a whole new light, from the award-winning author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

“Thought provoking, imaginative, and packs a hell of an emotional punch.” —Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

Ven was once a holy man, a keeper of ancient archives. It was his duty to interpret archaic texts, sorting useful knowledge from the heretical ideas of the Burning Age—a time of excess and climate disaster. For in Ven's world, such material must be closely guarded so that the ills that led to that cataclysmic era can never be repeated.

But when the revolutionary Brotherhood approaches Ven, pressuring him to translate stolen writings that threaten everything he once held dear, his life will be turned upside down. Torn between friendship and faith, Ven must decide how far he's willing to go to save this new world—and how much he is willing to lose.

? “A riveting tale of subterfuge and deadly self-indulgence” —Publishers Weekly, (starred review)

Also by Claire North:
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Touch
The Sudden Appearance of Hope
The End of the Day
84K
The Gameshouse
The Pursuit of William Abbey