LET'S FACE IT, NONE OF US DESERVE TO BE SAVED.

None of us are wiser, smarter, stronger or prettier than all those we watch die. Whatever criteria Down uses, how worthy we are doesn't come into it.

Since escaping London's inferno, Mary and Dalip have fought monsters and won - though in the magical world of Down, the most frightening monsters come from within.

Now they hold the greatest of treasures: maps that reveal the way to the White City, where they can find the answers they're looking for, and learn the secrets of Down.

But to get there they must rely on Crows, who has already betrayed them at every turn. As they battle their way towards the one place in all of Down without magic, they must ask themselves how far they will go to find their way home.

After all, if there's one thing the White City offers those brave enough to enter, it's more than they bargained for.

SIMON MORDEN'S DOWN STATION WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY QUEST FOR MEANING AND IDENTITY. NOW HE'S LEADING US TO THE KIND OF TRUTHS THAT LEAVE US CHANGED.

(p) 2016 Orion Publishing Group