It happened after the Vernichtung-the war left the city damaged, bruised, battered, its people shattered and battle-scarred, and open to a terrifying retribution...Foul things lurk within the labyrinth of the Old Quarter, and those who venture out a night are easy prey. Prey for the wolves and murderers that stalk the crooked streets, and for creatures far more deadly-the wych-kin. But evil diguised is deadliest of all. And behind the facade of wealth and charity that surrounds the uppermost levels of society lies a terrifying pact with the wych-kin that threatens humankind's very existence. At the heart is the beautiful, vulnerable, enigmatic Alaizabel Cray-key to the ultimate evil. Chris Wooding weaves an utterly compelling story set against a vividly imagined cityscape. You will be drawn irresistibly into its cobbled lanes, where the darkness awaits.