Europe on the eve of the Great War. But this is a different Europe: here machines look like living beings, and living beings are created like machines. For a massacre to begin, all that is needed is a pretext, and that pretext is the murder of the Austrian Archduke. His illegitimate son, sixteen-year-old Alexander von Hohenberg, is also sentenced to death, but manages to escape. The only thing he has left is a walking Cyclops stormtrooper and a handful of loyal people. Meanwhile, the British living flying ship Leviathan is heading to Istanbul on a mysterious diplomatic mission. Among the balloonists is young adventurer Deryn Sharp. Check your ammo rack and fasten your seat belts—it's just the beginning!