Talia is a queen without a kingdom. Hunted by her brother—the mad king who murdered their parents and shattered the realm—she flees with the few who remain loyal to her, vanishing into the lawless area known as the Ruins. With her sister presumed dead and her homeland lost, Talia must do the impossible: rally the survivors, unite the kingdoms, and find a way to reclaim a throne stolen through violence.

 

But her brother wields the gift of dreaming, a power that bends minds and turns loyalty into obedience. How do you fight a king who can rewrite reality itself?

 

Casimir has loved Talia his entire life. Once resigned to watching her rule beside another, he follows her into the wilds without hesitation. He would give her his obedience, his heart, his life—anything she asked. When Talia proposes an alliance that would bind them together as rulers in exile, Casimir knows the cost. Loving her always been dangerous. Standing beside her now may be fatal.

 

As war finally comes, Talia must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to reclaim her crown, and whether a queen raised to protect her people can survive a war that demands their blood.