Thalia never expected to be taken. But the Darkness has plans of its own. When the dreaded Steele Brothers and their Giant allies raid her home at midnight, Thalia and her friends are forced on a harrowing journey to the mysterious academy at Emohnomed. Like the young men of Judah chosen for the king of Babylon's service, they are dragged toward a land of shadowed luxury to learn the language and literature of a culture that serves the Darkness. Thalia finds brief respite aboard a luxurious train. But when Headmistress Imogen adds a "gift from the bishop" to the students' punch, Thalia's keen senses catch the putrescent smell of a counterfeit light. Clinging to the Good Book she smuggled into her bag, she refuses the smoke-laced food that turns friends into unthinking foes. In a world of beautiful lies, Thalia must stand firm against false accusations and prove that the only true strength comes from the Light that cannot be tainted. Because this isn't just about escaping her captors. It's about saving the people who no longer know they need to be saved.