Aiden de Clare is an outsider.

Outsider as in he never thought a few organizations hoarded the remnants of ancient knowledge and used it to chart the future of humanity. But upon the death of his father, a man he'd never met, he is thrust into the world of the mysterious Methods.

As the last step of his initiation into the Order, Aiden is taken to a protest in New York to witness mass manipulation firsthand. The exercise goes wrong when an unknown assailant attacks one of the members of the Order, leaving him near death.

Forced into a deadly game, Aiden tries to discover the true plans of the Order's leader, Edward Winthrop. Is he a tyrant, suppressing all progress, or might there be more to the story? In his search for the truth, Aiden uncovers secrets that will threaten the very foundation of the country. He meets legendary figures, takes part in the Battle of Fifth Avenue, and patches together an unlikely coalition of enemies. Navigating between tyrants and revolutionaries, Aiden has to walk a fine line to secure peace.