When Viola Baker finds a powerful artifact lost by Little Mariland’s despotic leader, she tries to hide it, only to be dragged to another world above her own, where someone even more hateful is pulling everyone’s strings. In her desperate escape, Viola’s use of the artifact injured the city’s god, which draws out the different factions in the city. Wooden, cloth, and clay citizens all fight amongst each other to seize power from Henry and free themselves. The fighting bars the way for Viola’s friends who are searching for her, trying to find ways to bring her back as the border between Little Mariland and this strange other world grows increasingly weak. Viola tries only to survive at first, but when she learns what plans this strange, otherworldly creature has for the city, she will find out if she can save everyone, or only herself.