Maxine “The Fist” Ali believes what her church and the Inquisition have told Nova Mundo is a city of sinners. Six hundred years ago, the Ayu saw fit to bless humanity with divine magic. Then came the alterations. The disrespect. Now, the filthy, mutated Inmani must be eradicated. Deployed to quash an Inmani insurgency, Max’s zealous mission is upended prematurely by her reckless gambling and an unlucky fight. Desperate for a dime, she finds work with charming local fixer Jaq — nonbinary, queer, and street-smart. But carrying out “you pay I punch” jobs means Max can no longer avoid the Inmani. Tangled in their dangerous day-to-day, Max stumbles on a mass grave — evidence of a horrifying socio-scientific experiment. And the Inmani are far from its only victims. As she slowly begins to question the authorities that propel her to violence, Max is forced to confront an earth-shattering if her life so far is a lie…she has no idea who she is.