This is a story about a young man named Kaz Brekker, an upcoming member of a gang called
the Dregs, who is talented in all things criminal in Ketterdam, a city of Kerch.
Kaz is recruited by the Merchant Council through a man named Van Eck to rescue Bo Yul-Bayur,
a scientist who understands the power of a drug called jurda parem, which is highly addictive
and gives special powers to Grisha, elemental magicians.
Kaz would need to break out Yul-Bayur from the Ice Court, which is an impenetrable stronghold
held by the Fjerdans, a neighboring nation.
Kaz is offered a lot of money and so he assembles his crew.
Kaz recruits Inej, a former slave girl who specializes in stealth and knives, and Jesper,
a sharpshooter and gambler.
Kaz then recruits Nina, a Grisha who has the ability to control the body and mind.
They rescue Matthias, a native Fjerdan and former Grisha hunter, from prison and ask
for his help since he is familiar with the layout of the Ice Court.
Kaz also brings along Wylan, Van Eck’s son, as insurance and a demolitions expert.
Kaz arranges a boat to take them on their journey, but it explodes before they board
it.
They fight their way to another boat, as Inej gets wounded.
They discover that Pekka Rollins, a rival gang leader, is also making a play at rescuing
Yul-Bayur and had set up the attack at the docks.
Nina heals Inej from her wounds, while the others share stories about their past.
Nina and Matthias distrust each other, as Matthias reveals that they had worked together
before, but Nina betrayed him by sending him to prison.
Kaz shares his plan to enter the Ice Court through the prison, rescue Yul-Bayur, and
then walk out.
The group arrives on the shores of Fjerdan and are attacked by Grisha who are seeking
jurda parem for themselves.
Nina and Matthias separate from the group and Nina reveals that the reason she sent
Matthias to prison at the time was to protect him from being killed by undercover Grisha.
They both decide that Yul-Bayur is a threat to everyone and cannot be permitted to leave
the Ice Court alive.
After sneaking in with a group of prisoners, the group are led to their cells.
Because Jesper is a Grisha, he creates needles as lock picks.
They all escape their cells with their assigned jobs: Inej climbs a chimney stack, Kaz and
Nina search for Yul-Bayur, and the others search for rope.
Kaz separates himself from Nina and discovers Rollins in a cell.
Nina accidentally runs into some guards and the alarm is triggered.
The group climbs up the chimney stack and plans their next move on the roof.
Kaz wants Inej and Nina to sneak in with some dancers.
After changing into costumes, Inej and Nina try to walk past the guards, but Inej is held
back and Nina goes alone.
Kaz and Matthias take out some guards and put on their uniforms, while Jesper and Wylan
break one of the gates.
Inej’s old boss recognizes her at the party and the guards take her away.
Nina seduces a Fjerdan general, Brum, to try to get the location of Yul-Bayur, but he leads
her into a trap and she is locked in a cell that can expose her to Jurda parem.
Matthias appears next to Brum in what looks to be a betrayal to the group for country
loyalty.
However, Matthias double crosses Brum after hearing the location of Yul-Bayur.
Matthias saves Nina and they enter Yul-Bayur’s laboratory, but find his son, Kuwei, instead.
Kuwei explains that his father is dead and that he has been held prisoner to try and
replicate the Jurda parem.
They then blow up the laboratory.
Inej breaks free and meets up with Jesper and Wylan, giving Jesper a stolen diamond
that he fabricates into a drill bit to drill a hole into the glass wall.
The group steals a tank and escapes.
As the group approaches the harbor, they are met by hundreds of soldiers and a powerful
Grisha under the power of Jurda parem.
Nina takes some Jurda parem so that her powers can be enhanced and knocks out the powerful
Grisha and opposing soldiers.
Brum appears and is wearing armor that prevents Nina from controlling him, but she defeats
him without killing him.
The group sails back home to collect their reward, as Nina experiences withdrawal from
the Jurda parem.
Kaz, along with Jesper, Kuwei, and Inej, meet with Van Eck to receive the money, but Van
Eck betrays them and tries to kill them all.
Kaz planned for that and so he had Nina make Wylan look like Kuwei and hid Nina and the
real Kuwei.
Van Eck escapes by taking the money and Inej.
Kaz vows to get her back.
In the end, Kaz trades his assets to Rollins for some cash to go after Van Eck and rescue
Inej.