A densely atmospheric and intrigue-filled fantasy novel of living spies, dead gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, ever-changing city --- from one of America's most acclaimed young sci-fi writers.

Years ago, teh city of Bulikov wielded the powers of the Gods to conquer the world. But after its divine protectors were mysteriously killed, the conquerer has become the conquered; the city's proud history has been erased and censored, progress has left it behind, and it is just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself --- first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it --- stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this musty, backward city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the quiet mousy woman is just another lowly diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, Shara is one of her country's most accomplished spymasters --- dispatched to investigate the brutal murder of a seemingly harmless historian.

As Shara pursues the mystery through the ever-shifting physical and political geography of the city, she begins to suspect that the beings who once protected Bulikov may not be as dead as they seem --- and that her own abilities might be touched by the divine as well.