by Steven Price
First published 2022
Charlie Ovid bears no scars from his brutal Mississippi childhood because his body heals itself without his consent. Marlowe was discovered as a foundling in a railway car, his skin emanating an eerie blue glow that allows him to melt or repair human flesh. Detective Alice Quicke, carrying her own damaged past, receives orders to transport both boys to safety. Their journey leads them from London's gas-lit streets through Meiji-era Tokyo's wooden theaters to a mysterious Edinburgh estate. There they join other gifted children: Komako manipulates dust like a witch, while Ribs wraps herself in complete invisibility. The Institute houses these young Talents, but dark forces hunt them relentlessly. The boundary between the living and dead worlds grows dangerously thin. As the children discover the true nature of their abilities, the Institute's hidden secrets emerge. The question becomes whether their gifts make them saviors or the very monsters they fear.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, fantasy, supernatural
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, monsters, special-abilities
Setting: Edinburgh, London, Mississippi, Tokyo
Period: 19th-century, Meiji-era
672 pages · Hardcover · Flatiron Books
Content warnings: body-horror, violence