Armed with snark and an ability to judge people accurately, Quincy walks a fine line between protecting her best friend and preserving her status, all while hiding her true feelings about their way of life. She's sure of one thing only: she doesn't belong in the anchorage. Fiercely loyal, she is willing to do anything for those she loves — except lower her guard.

Formerly a citizen of the inner city with everything it has to offer at her fingertips,​ Bird is now a prisoner and an outcast, stripped of both rights and freedom. Naturally compassionate and a bit stubborn, she has risked everything to find out the truth about her world. Now she has to find the courage to stand for her newfound faith, even if it costs her everything.

Shunned by her fellow balance keepers, Monroe knows the anchorage would be happier if she did not exist. Gentle, loyal, and kindhearted even towards her enemies, she sees the worth in everyone but herself. Trust does not come easily to her and though she treasures her friendship with Quincy, she cannot help but worry what it will cost them both.

With ultimate power over Eudaimon's religious system and rumors of his uncanny ability to read minds, the examiner is widely feared. Poised between the inner city and the anchorage, he foresees the former's eventual collapse and the latter's opportunity. Armed with intelligence and ruthless single-mindedness, he is a formidable opponent.

Talented, ambitious, and armed with a sharp tongue, Rith commands her fellow balance keepers' respect. Having learned the anchorage's cruelest lessons at a young age, she sees both power and protection in obtaining the highest position she can. Quincy is the only one who might stand in her way — but Rith intends to win at all costs.

Quiet and practical, Nox prefers to keep to herself. Though she was lively and talkative when she was young, she has learned that if no one knows what she thinks or wants, she cannot be punished for it. While she's most comfortable blending into the crowd, her wry sense of humor still shines through when she is around someone she trusts.

With her distracted demeanor, strange rituals, and immunity to anchorage politics, there's more going on in Gamaliel's head than most would guess. Extremely devout and possessing a high tolerance for pain, she takes up increasingly grueling penances in her attempt to please the gods. If she fails, the consequences might be dire.

With her authority over all the balance keepers and matrons of the anchorage, getting on Dorina's bad side is a sure way to make life miserable. Having won a vicious fight to earn the position of head matron, she is willing to defend it at all costs from anyone she perceives to be a threat. Recent events place Quincy squarely within her crosshairs.

Having recently become a novice balance keeper and thus fully integrated with the rest of the community for the first time, Delano has a lot to learn. Young and a bit naïve, she's a little more expressive than might be strictly healthy within the anchorage walls.

Struggling to adjust to life as a novice and terrified of the gods she serves, Lael is desperate to find her place. But in the anchorage, vulnerability can be dangerous, and one wrong move can have deadly consequences.

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