To fund his quest, Nicholas has become a thief, but he is not just an ordinary criminal. Nicholas is the master thief Donatien, who seems to be just one step ahead of the great Inspector Ronsarde. The police have a bigger problem than a master thief. People are disappearing at an alarming rate. Some corpses have turned up with parts of the body missing and even bones have been found to flow through the sewage system.
Overwhelming evidence indicates that necromancy is being practiced.
Meanwhile Nicholas is robbing an estate when he meets ghouls and a sorcerer in the cellar of his intended victim. He soon becomes partners with his enemy Ronsarde in an attempt to uncover the identity of and stop a necromancer who has no moral boundaries. The necromancy rings true as a form of science on this world. However, what makes this novel a cut above most others is Ms. Wells ability to make her environment extremely complex and genuine without taking away from a well written fantasy.