Jim Butcher, a recognized creator of worlds and a master of wildly twisted plots, the author of almost two dozen successful mystical thrillers, many of which have won prestigious awards, surprises and delights us again. Weaving steampunk, futuristic dystopia and heroic fantasy into a whimsical tapestry, Butcher created a large-scale saga about an amazing world where monstrous monsters prowl the fog-covered surface of the planet, and the entire human civilization is concentrated in the Spears - man-made towers of ash-stone. The human race, as usual, is mired in intrigue and conflict, and some, for the sake of power, are even ready to enter into a conspiracy with absolute Evil... They are opposed only by a handful of brave souls and even the brave son of the leader of the Quiet Paws clan, the cat Rowle. Will the alliance of people and cats be able to fulfill their mission or will they have to surrender to the dubious mercy of the Unknown Forces?