Octavian Nothing is a young Black boy raised in a secretive Boston academy before the American Revolution, where he's treated as both a prince and a scientific experiment. When he discovers the cruel truth about his education—that he's being studied to prove racist theories about African inferiority—his world shatters. As the Revolutionary War approaches, Octavian must navigate betrayal, freedom, and his own identity while the nation around him fights for liberty that doesn't include him.