Pickpocketing is ideal for the sure of hand, fleet of foot and small of stature. Possessing the first two qualifications, Llew knows it won’t be a career for life - not a long one, anyway. When the man called Jonas passes through town on a job, Llew sees a future beyond the length of a rope.

The last of his warrior race, Jonas is surrounded by the ghosts of his loved ones. At his side, the knife that took their lives. But his oath to keep it from claiming more souls is a heavy burden, made more so by his half-brother, the devious magician Braph, who is hunting for a new source of blood to fuel his power.

And Llew’s unexpected and unwanted presence may finally bring his resolve to breaking point.