The much-anticipated stand-alone prequel to the bestselling Queen of the Tearling trilogy . . . A decadent kingdom . . . a descent into darkness . . . alliances forged under fire . . . a prophecy that will change the course of history . . . 'A suspenseful; multi-layered tale' Cassandra Clare 'A must-read for fans of the Tearling!' Helene Wecker 'Dark and timely' Kim Harrison The Tearling has reverted to feudalism; a far cry from the utopia it was founded to be. As the gap between rich and poor widens and famine threatens the land; sparking unrest; rumours of a prophecy begin to spread: a great hope; a True Queen who will rise up and save the kingdom. But rumours will not help Lazarus; a man raised to kill in the brutal clandestine underworld of the Creche; nor Aislinn; a farm girl who must reckon with her own role in the growing rebellion. And in the Keep; the crown princess; Elyssa; finds herself torn between duty to the throne and the lure of a group of fierce idealists who promise radical change. But Elyssa must choose quickly; before a nefarious witch and her shadowy master use dark magic to decide for her. It is only a matter of time before all three will be called into the service of something bigger than they have ever imagined: the fight for a better world.