When his heart is broken, Christopher Prescott feels as if his world is falling apart. But his world is far larger, darker and more mysterious than he ever believed. An act of kindness plunges Christopher amongst those who secretly dwell in the margins of everyday society. They are the Five Clans, and still embrace the old ways of arcane deeds, strange creatures and sinister pacts. Soon Christopher finds himself the reluctant companion of a young woman with a dark past, and an enigmatic detective who may not be what he seems. Togeather they journey along forgotten avenues, to investigate a grisley massacre and a warning from beyond the grave. Shadows deepen. Traditions shatter. Past and present collide. And the oncoming storm threatens to engulf not just the Five Clans, but the mundane world to which Christopher can never return.