A young scholar learns he may be the key to uncovering an ancient Egyptian artifact coveted by a powerful cabal of magicians in this enchanting novel set among the glittering parties and Egyptology craze of 1920s London.
Ezra Bright has returned to London after serving in World War I but, like many surviving soldiers, he's haunted-by the horrors of the front lines, the loss of his adoptive brother and the strange magic flickering at the edge of his vision. Desperate to outrun his past, Ezra falls into a dazzling new world of socialites known for their elaborate costume parties and sprawling scavenger hunts.

But these Bright Young Things are hungry. And none more than Celia, a disgraced heiress, who warns Ezra that these parties are only a glittering façade for a secret society of magicians. For centuries, the Order, at the behest of its mysterious leader, has plundered magical relics. Their ultimate prize lies buried in Egypt, and unlocking it requires ancient magic-one Celia believes Ezra alone possesses.

When a note in his room is mistaken for the opening clue of a scavenger hunt, Ezra and his friends are launched into high stakes race across Egypt. As secrets are unearthed and the dead refuse to stay buried, Ezra must confront the truth of his heritage-and the full cost of his power-before the Order claims it first.