Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, findsherself caught in the middle of a conflict between gargoyles, the Mechanics, andthe Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattiediscovers powerful and dangerous secrets — secrets that can completelyalter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. This doesn't sit well withLoharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart— literally.