Astraa Fenwick has spent her life preparing to be useful to Blackmarsh. But when she is chosen by the king to marry his heir, she is forced to leave everything she knows behind for the distant capital of Highmarch and a future she never chose.

As dangerous secrets begin to surface and the mysterious Starmarked threaten the uneasy peace of Veyros, Astraa finds herself caught between duty and a life she never imagined wanting.

In a kingdom where obedience can mean survival, choosing her own future may be the most dangerous thing she can do.