"In a world where alchemy exists and history didn't quite go the way that it did here, there is the Float, formally the Free Republic of Thessalia, an ocean-borne city that's at the center of business and commerce. And on the Float is the Family, a sprawling network of thieves, con men, and assassins with one goal: make sure the Float keeps floating. Jessa Wynn, their youngest member, is about to learn just how dirty a job it is when she finds herself in the middle of a plot which threatens the stability of the Float. Jessa is going to need her wits, her will and a whole lot of cats if she's going to save the Float and her family" -- Page [4] of cover.