The princess Sellithar will inherit the kingdom of Everran, small, peaceful, secure. And stifling under a dynasty's traditions, that Sellithar burns to strip away. But when she takes the throne, peace and security end. Lords rebel, once-friendly neighbours hatch plots and threaten war. Everran cannot save itself by force. The one hope of help comes in a dream. Look eastward, the omen says. Find salvation in the desert, where Everran's kings have turned before.
But in the wild, harsh, fickle, fragile, beautiful desert of Hethria, Sellithar meets a legend she has refused to believe exists. An aedr, a genuine wizard. An enigmatic, infuriating, unexpected ally in a war she never thought to fight.
She rules a kingdom. He's warden to half Hethria. But he doesn't do well with people, and she's not so good at tact. Yet to survive the threat of an marauding empire, Hethria will need them both.
She knows about tactics. He understands reality. They both love Hethria. But what if, to keep something you love, you have to change yourself?
Some wars you just can't win alone.
