In a world not unlike our own, Alys Kinnear, a young mage on the way to becoming a full-fledged wizard, leaves her training behind to stand on her own for the first time. Taking a job in London brings her more adventure than she'd expected, even from the capital city of Albion. When Alys finds herself implicated in a string of ghastly murders, her bonds with her new snow leopard familiars - Athena and Artemis - are tested, and the motives of Scotland...