Award-winning author Marta Palazzesi brings us an ambitious and captivating novel in the form of a fast-paced fantasy with spectacular settings and heart-pounding action Theo is about to turn 13 when everything he knows changes in an instant. At the stroke of midnight, when his Apto, the animal guide that accompanies Archemists throughout their lives, is due to appear, he instead meets a fire fox, the strongest, fiercest, and most-loyal of companions of the Alkrem. Thus, Theo discovers that he is an Alkrem—people who can create magical potions, wield powerful weapons, and have been vilified—and later massacred—by their once-allies, the Archemists. The Archemists are now in power, and, in a raid on Theo’s house, have beaten Theo’s father and taken him to prison. From this moment on, the boy’s goal is to find the Alkrexa, the mighty Alkrem weapon capable of healing any wound, and saving his father’s life. Along the way, Theo will learn that the truth is not what he has always been taught. This heart-pounding fantasy thriller will enthrall readers to the last page as Theo struggles to complete his quest to uncover the truth and save the only family he has ever known.