In 1984, teenager Holly Sykes runs away from home in England. Almost 60 years later, we find her in the far west of Ireland, raising two young children as the world's climate collapses. In between, Holly's life is repeatedly intersected by a slow-motion war between a cult of predatory soul-decanters and a band of vigilantes led by one Doctor Marinus. Holly begins as an unwitting pawn in this war - but may prove to be its decisive weapon.