Cut off from the rest of the world by choice, the city of Ora relies on heavy surveillance of its people and surroundings to maintain order. Anima is one of the extrasensory humans tasked with running the city. Even if it means never leaving the Hub, Anima is content with ĂŚr job, as it offers ĂŚr a direct connection to the Gleaming, a powerful network that spans the globe and connects all things. Then, a mysterious figure named Vessel enters Ora without going through one of the border gates. Se offers Anima the chance to look at ser cabinet of curiosities from around the world in exchange for a memento of ĂŚr own. Instead of turning ser in to the authorities, Anima, who has never seen the world outside Ora, accepts Vesselâs offer. But as ĂŚ learns the story behind each item, Anima realizes that the rest of the world isnât like Ora and begins to doubt ĂŚr role in enforcing the cityâs rules. As events collide, Anima is left with one question that destabilizes everything ae knows: What good is a city if it canât protect its people?
âStories within stories, possibilities within impossibilities: In the Watchful City is half-tapestry, half-menagerie, adding up to an intricate, transcendent fantasy.â âChuck Wendig, NYT-Bestselling Author of WANDERERS, BLACKBIRD, ZER0ES