Winner of five international literary awardsWhen friends fail and cities fall, when enemies grow strong taking everything you treasure, what can you do? Strike back. Sebastian and Melanie crusade against the cyborg enemy risking everything against betrayal's cruel bite. The steam academy is rebuilt, but the city is not the same. The fortress of science, the last sanctuary from the marauding cyborg army sweeping the land, is being twisted by refugees as they flood to the city for protection. The world changes, power corrupts and the enemy becomes harder to identify. Dark deeds are afoot, and friends are not who they appear to be as Sebastian and Melanie embark on an adventure leading them into the very heart of the enemy's territory where they must face their darkest fears and lose everything important.