In the war-torn lands of THE DROWNED CITIES, refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to escape the violence that plagues the main metropolis.  When they are confronted by soldiers from the United Patriot Front, Mahlia must make a decision- risk everything to save Mouse, the boy who once saved her, or flee on her own to safety.

In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are broken down for parts, a teenage boy scavenges for enough copper wiring to make quota --- and hopes he'll live to see another day. But when Nailer finds a beached clipper ship, he faces the biggest decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth, or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.