Amid the bustling markets, the city's outcasts survive as best they can by conning wealthy Ottoman nobles and foreign invaders alike. However, under this new world lie old stories. Stories about djinns and spirits, about cities hidden under the ever-changing sands of the desert. Places full of charms, desires and riches, in which magic invades the streets and floats in the air like dust. Many long for a life filled with wonder, but Nahri does not. Nahri knows that the skills he uses to survive are nothing more than tricks and sleight of hand that have nothing to do with magic. He would like to leave Cairo one day, but as the saying goes...careful what you wish for.