Alchemy is an exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves. Within Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates: Grand Central and Lumines. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city --- and their lives --- will be irrevocably transformed. The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. As the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.

In a futuristic, war-ridden United States, 15-year-old June is being trained for military success. When her brother is killed, a young criminal named Day is the prime suspect, and June is set on avenging the murder --- until they both discover the shocking truth.