Her greatest strength is her greatest weakness... Princess Athaya of Caithe paid a steep price for her gift: the lives of family, friends, and lovers, excommunication from the Church, and a death warrant in her kingdom. She barely escaped Caithe with her life, and yet she is already plotting her return. Despite months of grueling instruction, Athaya is only just beginning to understand the full extent of her talents. Her battle-magic is unpredictable and her spell path-maps incomplete. But Athaya is running out of time. While she’s been safely training, the Lorngeld continue to suffer under the cruel reign of her brother Durek. Athaya swore she’d abolish the Church’s murderous rite of absolution and legalize the teaching of magic to the Lorngeld. Doing so will be far from simple. Though Athaya is aided by a powerful group of wizards, King Durek will not rest until she is defeated... and Athaya unwittingly already holds the key to her own demise.