For being so full of the dead, the Underworld is a lively place.

As a shadowy magic takes root within her, Elsie—with the help of some departed souls—begins to understand the risks of the Master’s schemes, for his corruption of the gods threatens not just Maderlav, but existence itself. Unfortunately, Elsie fears she poses a similar threat when she begins to rip holes in the Underworld itself, and souls begin to come and go from the Underworld in ways they were never meant to.

In the realm of the living, across the sea from Maderlav, Fletcher seeks allies in the Coalition. But the welcome he receives is hardly a warm one. A land controlled, it seems, by the Insidiae, he is hard-pressed to find relief from the troubles plaguing Maderlav. The elven contingent of the Coalition are equally unhelpful: reluctant to be drawn in and insistent that the gods are not forever, the vora aren’t sympathetic to violence brewing in Maderlav.

Isa and Augustus escape that same violence entirely when they are flung to the far reaches of…well, where, exactly, neither can say. But as a filament of Elsie’s shadow threatens Augustus, both are forced underground to seek a cure—and if they’re lucky, a way home.

Meanwhile, Teddy strikes up an unlikely allyship as he fights for Sam’s life, uncovering some ulterior motives for the Master’s corruption of the gods in the process. From the outer reaches of the new Guild territory to the Hidden City itself, Teddy and Sam confront truth and lies, determined not to let either break them apart again.

And of course, there is the Master himself. All schemes go sideways when the Master lays the body of his lover at Elsie’s feet, the gods raining destruction down around him in the name of revenge—a name Anscip knows better, a name synonymous with the evasive Prince of Nothing.

The third book in the Merchant series, gods and mortals clash in this thrilling story of intrigue, magic, heartbreak, and love.