The world has changed forever. Across America, technology has been eclipsed by magic, and ordinary people become the embodiments of their darkest desires, deepest fears, purest selves.

To save his sister, Tina, who has been transformed into one of the ethereal creatures known as flares, former lawyer Cal Griffin seeks out the source of this terrifying phenomenon. Cal and his band of unlikely heroes follow the song of a cursed bluesman and the visions of the charming lunatic Goldie to a secret haven, exempt from the malevolent power. But as the outside world unravels, the salvation of everything left worth saving requires that Cal and his companions journey deep into the soul of darkness to confront the beast ruling the Ruby City once called Chicago.