Sorcery. Treason. Madness. And, of course, murder most foul.Archibald Clare, mentath in the service of Britannia, is about his usual business--solving crimes and restoring public order--until a shattering accident places him in the care of Emma Bannon, Sorceress Prime, who once served and now simply remains at home in reasonably quiet contentment. What Clare needs is time to recover, and to repair his faculties of Logic and Reason. Without them, he is not his best. One could even say that without them, he is not even properly a mentath at all.Unfortunately, calm and rest are not to be found. There is a killer hiding in the sorcerous steam-hells of Londinium, stalking the Eastron End and unseaming poor women of a certain reputation. A handful of murdered frails would make no difference... but the killings echo in the highest circles, and threaten to reduce the Empire to smoking ruins.Once more Emma Bannon is pressed into service; once more Archibald Clare is determined to aid her. Yet secrets between these two old friends may give an ambitious sorcerer the means to bring down the Crown. And there is still no way to reliably find a hansom when one needs it most.Britannia is threatened. Londinium quakes. Sorcery births an unholy monster.The game is afoot...
