Throughout humanity's history, a long-lived race of beings known as Rememberers have lived hidden in plain sight alongside humans. They were created to collect the memories of dying humans and preserve them; using the information contained in each person's memory to counsel the human race and help them avoid the mistakes of their past. But the leaders of the Rememberers, the Cybeles, have been dying before their time for the last two thousand years. Without the Cybele, they still collect memories, but without her guidance, they are unable to properly counsel the human race, resulting in the horrific increase in war and chaos. In 1783, a Rememberer named Emma is born; before dying in childbirth, her mother warns her friends Moira and Samuel that Emma is in danger. Adopted and raised by the couple, Emma is next in line to become the Cybele for her people. As she grows to adulthood, she must learn who wants her dead-or else become the next fatality among the Cybeles.