In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients from surveillance. He goes by Alif—the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. His computer has just been breached by the state's electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days, the secret book of the jinn, which he suspects may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen.