In Manhattan, a young grad student steps off the train and realizes he doesn't remember who he is or where he's from—not even his name—but he can sense the beating heart of the city, its history, and its power. In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and alive it's as if the paint is literally calling to her. And in Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her designer heels. This novel from four-time Hugo Award winner N.K. Jemisin is a crackling tale of culture, identity, magic, and myths—the first book in her Great Cities Duology.

"It's a glorious fantasy … inclusive in all the best ways, and manages to contain both Borges and Lovecraft in its fabric, but the unique voice and viewpoint are Jemisin's alone."—Neil Gaiman