The book is set in a dystopian world where climate change has led to a decline in the access to clean water. The story follows protagonist, Angel Velasquez, a “water knife”, whose job is to tamper with the water supply of other competitors. He is sent on a job by his boss, Catherine Case, the “Queen of the Colorado,” to destroy Arizona’s water supply so that her own water supply company can prosper.
The story then diverts to the viewpoint of Maria Villarosa, a Texas refugee, who has gotten involved with a bad crowd after failing to make her rent payments. She is inadvertently linked to Velasquez when she obtains a copy of the senior water rights that he is looking for.
Along their journey, they encounter Lucy Monroe, an award-winning journalist, who is being tortured by rivals seeking to locate the senior water rights. However, betrayal; soon follows, as each individual has their own uses for the document, and it becomes a question of who they can trust.
