Deborah J. Miller

Lyra, a deft thief of not just objects but of alibis, guards a delicate secret at the heart of a city that breathes with swarms. A theft unravels a web of loyalties: the guild she trusts, a diaspora of outcasts, and a vanished mentor who may still be listening from the shadows. As loyalties fracture, Lyra must decide what she’s willing to become—someone who steals from strangers to survive, or someone who holds the line when the swarm’s hunger becomes a chorus that cannot be silenced.