Bacco Valley is a seaside town built on poison. Its hidden rulers farm and distribute Third Legacy, volatile plants with dark, ancient origins. The town is populated mostly by the four-armed tol race. Beanie is one of three Suopex - underbosses in a criminal organisation. He dreams of Bacco Valley becoming the start of a great tol empire. This ambition is contested among his peers, however, and has created tension between them. Cariella, the teen-aged daughter of another Suopex, wants nothing more than to distance herself from the isolated town's horrible truth. She hopes to escape her family and live among good people. When a distant threat one day puts Bacco Valley in danger, events are set in motion that could make Beanie and Cariella reluctant allies. The two tol are starkly different: One is experienced, aggressive, violent and ambitious. The other is young, sensitive, unorganised and compassionate. Yet both have an iron will, refusing to let go of what they want. The Poison Pearl is a high-fantasy mob drama which follows two non-human points of view. It's a character-driven story about power, leadership, family and pride.