Nisa Acker has dedicated her entire life to searching for answers from history. But her current dig in Egypt has left her with more questions than answers, and more mysteries than she and her small team can handle alone. Strange hieroglyphics, a story etched on stone about forbidden love, and a mystery about a supposed realm-traveler who the Egyptians executed leaves Nisa and her team utterly clueless. But she's not the only one searching for answers. There are enemies all around her and they're willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on this dig - and the secret that lies inside it. A secret that will transport Nisa and her team to a brand new realm.

"When all else fails, throw a little magic at it" is the motto for most people on the technologically-advanced planet of Kalanun. But for Sebastian Auclaire, that couldn't be further from the truth. In a world where magic is determined by the button the government plugs into your brain, Sebastian's button simply reads "random". Unable to determine what it will do at any given point, Sebastian determines to use the button only as necessary. But when he's thrown into a fight against a corrupt government and a shadowy organization behind them, the button suddenly becomes necessary a lot more often. Forced to rely on his wits and an unreliable source of magic, Sebastian navigates a world where tolerance and cultural relevance are the holy grails of society--unless you happen to be someone who doesn't fit into the well-oiled machine just right. Faced with the challenges of a world that can't accept him and a government that wants him dead, Sebastian must decide: give in or fight.