Abandoned on a remote highway after bandits murder his parents, young Olifur finds safety under the care of Fritjof, a gruff woodsman who teaches him to live off the land. When Fritjof falls ill, Olifur will risk everything to save his mentor-even travel to far-off Melar to seek a doctor.

But the city of Melar is more perilous than Olifur imagined, and doctors aren't cheap. His quest leads him first to a hazardous job working on the elevated trains high above the city. But the dangers in the clouds are nothing compared to those on the ground, and when Olifur finds himself ensnared in a web of professional thieves, he must think fast if he is to survive the day and bring the much-needed aid to Fritjof before it is too late.

Schmidt reweaves Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" into an adventurous tale of integrity and perseverance in this gaslamp-fantasy adventure.