In this thrilling young adult dystopian adventure, two teenagers unite to bring down the oppressive regime that has dictated their entire lives.
In the far future, Mars is controlled by the Chinese, who call their civilization the Celestial Empire. But for Gamine and Huang, it is anything but heavenly.
Gamine was take off the street by an aristocrat, schooled as a fine young lady—then abandoned at her patron’s whim and forced to make her living as a grifter. Huang’s army career is cut short by a bandit ambush. When the two meet, Gamine—“Iron Jaw”—is the leader of a sham “religious movement,” and Huang, or “Hummingbird,” is the bandit’s chief tactician. The two join forces and form an unlikely alliance to overthrow the corrupt government that holds their lives captive.