Arissa of Merindal never wanted to be queen. She was the younger daughter, happily invisible, content to let her older sister Evabel carry the weight of the crown. That arrangement suited everyone.

Then it comes out that Evabel is illegitimate. The line of succession shatters overnight, and before Arissa can process what that means, her father the king is killed. She’s next in line for a throne she never prepared for, in a kingdom that’s already falling apart. The treasury is empty, the neighboring nations smell blood, and half the court would rather see her dead than crowned.

She’s a target before she’s even coronated. Assassination attempts, forced marriage proposals, advisors with their own agendas. Arissa has to learn politics the hard way, and fast, because the people making moves against her have been playing this game her entire life.

And something else is happening. Visions. Abilities she can’t control. Things that feel a lot like magic, which is a serious problem in a world where magic gets you killed. She can’t tell anyone, and she can’t make it stop.

Meanwhile, her childhood best friend Bally Foxwell has lost everything. A noblewoman bankrupted and forgotten, Bally puts on a mask and starts leading a commoner’s rebellion against the crown. Neither of them knows they’re on a collision course. By the time they figure it out, it may be too late for both of them.