The first in a thrilling new 4-book fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, set in the same world as her beloved Seven Realms series, a generation later.Adrian sul'Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic - and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now, Ash is closer than he's ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel King of Arden. With time running out, Ash faces an excruciating choice: Can he use his powers not to save a life, but to take it?Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bardelow was told that the magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King's Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn't know why she's being hunted, she knows that she can't get caught.Eventually, Ash and Jenna's paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the King, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series, a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.

The first in a thrilling new 4-book fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, set in the same world as her beloved Seven Realms series, a generation later.