In the churning depths of the Swollen Ocean, aboard a colossal ship of prisoners and slaves reshaped into haunting apparitions, begins the voyage of Bellis Coldwine. A linguist by trade, her gift of tongues wins her a precarious freedom from a past entwined with dark sciences and the consequences of unchecked ambition. She seeks refuge in the distant Nova Esperium, hoping to disappear within its nascent colonies. Yet fate, with its cruel penchant for irony, casts her and her fellow voyagers into the clutches of pirates, leading them to Armada—a city adrift, composed of countless ship hulls lashed together, navigating the endless seas under the enigmatic rule of the Lovers. In this floating metropolis where the bizarre is commonplace, and humans coexist with the "Remade" and other fantastical beings, Bellis finds herself trapped in a complex web of politics and power. As Bellis Coldwine navigates the perilous social labyrinths of Armada, she becomes enmeshed in a deeper conspiracy that threatens not just her hopes of returning home, but the very fabric of reality itself. Below the city, in the abyssal depths, lurk entities of unfathomable power and purpose, their motives as dark and shifting as the waters they inhabit. As Armada sets its sights on a mythical and terrifying prize, Bellis must summon all her wit and cunning to unravel the secrets that bind the city to these ancient forces. In a world where every decision can lead to either salvation or damnation, Bellis’s journey becomes a testament to human resilience and the endless quest for home, no matter how far one has drifted into the unknown.