‘The Hand that Casts the Bone’ is the second book in the Vanguard Series and continues the journey of protagonist, John Vanguard, as he negotiates his way through a city rife with crime and corruption. A Grimdark gas lamp novel, ‘The Hand that Casts the Bone’ follows 'We Men of Ash and Shadow' in its themes of redemption, betrayal and revolution. Alone in a city on the cusp of revolution, separated from his allies and with nothing to his name, former mercenary John Vanguard finds vigilante life can be a poorly paid gig. When an influential aristocrat's death causes a sudden shift in the balance of power, Vanguard finds himself once more caught in the crossfire between dangerous men with murderous ambitions. From his tower far above the city, Captain Sanquain seeks to tighten his iron grip on the capital and its citizens. Amidst the chaos of the Black Zone, a deadly turf war is brewing between the crime lords. Outside the city, libertarian Argent Cooke struggles to gather support for the uprising. And from the smog-stained rooftops, Vanguard's former protégé Tarryn Leersac is watching all. With any hopes of redemption fading, Vanguard finds one last shred of hope in the form of an old friend, risen from the dead and promising the chance for atonement.