Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he spends his days mining the interior of Mars, believing his work is preparing the planet's surface for future generations. He soon discovers that humanity reached the surface centuries ago and that his people are being used as slave labor for a decadent ruling class called the Golds. Driven by the memory of a lost love and a longing for justice, Darrow undergoes a transformation to infiltrate the Institute, the brutal training ground of the Gold elite, to bring down the system from within.

This Roman Numeral edition is presented in a handmade marble case with hand-lathed pillars, carved by master stonemason Nick Roberson and lined by Ludlow Bookbinders. The book is hand-bound in leather, hand-painted in a gradient from red to black, and features spine text and a Howler sigil cut from black steel. The edges are hand-gilded in copper and distressed with Verdigris. The paper is handmade by the last remaining handmade paper mill operating in the United Kingdom.