Thousands of them have lived underground. They've lived there so long, there are only legends about people living anywhere else. Such a life requires rules. Strict rules. There are things that must not be discussed. Like going outside. Never mention you might like going outside.

Or you'll get what you wish for.

14-year-old Will Burrows has little in common with his strange, dysfunctional family. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. So when his dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance.

He unearths the unbelievable: a subterranean society that time forgot.
The Colony has existed unchanged for a century, but it's no benign time capsule of a bygone era. Because the Colony is ruled by a merciless overclass, the Styx. Will must free his father—is he also about to ignite a revolution?

The Fade introduces readers to a subterranean world of vast caverns, underground seas, and crystalline forests. It is a civilization born of darkness, in darkness, protected by shadows. This is a city of merchants, whose eyes have turned upward to the surface, where the lethal light of day beats down on their world.

A conspiracy so vast that it will swallow them all unfolds in this stunningly original fantasy from multi-award winning author Chris Wooding. With a beautiful baroque world, sharp characterization, and Wooding's trademark insight into the fantasy genre, the dawning of Halflight is an event more than worth waiting for.