Orphan-slave Claidi knows nothing but the House, with its lavish extravagance, mindless ritual and cruelty. Then Nemian, an enigmatic prisoner, promises escape and safety if she will free him and journey to his city through the wild and savage Waste. But nothing is as it seems: a tribe that yearns to fly, a city ruled by dolls, clocks that are Gods, strange forests, marvellous beasts - and the nomadic Hulta with their young chief Argul. Most menacing of all, the Wolf Tower broods over Nemian's stone city, ruling a deadly game of chance with the spin of the dice. But no one is ready for Claidi's passion for freedom, her bid to destroy the Law once and for all ...