Six months after the end of Book 1, the core stops working and all the clocks stop at the same time. As the world's rotation slows, experts from all over the world head for the island of the core, a mechanical computer with clockwork and alchemic parts. And they vanish.

In increasingly bad weather, Adele needs to reach the core from Urbe, Charlie from Copper House, Rohan from Dilli. By airship or steam-powered train, they will have to cross continents and the sea to reach the core and fix it, as well as finding out who is doing this to the world.

A breathtaking journey across the steampunk world with no cats known as Otherside.