In a realm of intrigue and danger, a runaway queen and a reluctant prince find themselves entangled in a perilous quest that could spell their destruction.
Eight years after the Battle of the Serpent, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has seized control of the Ice Needle Citadel in the icy north. Using an ancient relic, she is creating monstrous beings of stick and snow to carry out her revenge.
Meanwhile, Suren, the child queen of the Court of Teeth, flees to the human world, where she lives in the wilderness, haunted by the traumas of her past. Solitary and scarred by the cruelties she endured, she spends her time freeing mortals from ill-fated bargains. Feeling forgotten, she is suddenly thrust back into the spotlight when pursued by the storm hag Bogdana. In her moment of peril, she is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once betrothed and whom she has harbored resentment towards for years.
Now seventeen years old, Prince Oak is a charming, beautiful, and manipulative young man. He embarks on a mission that leads him north, seeking Suren’s aid. Yet, for her to agree means she must protect her heart from the boy she once knew and the prince she cannot fully trust. It also forces her to confront the harrowing nightmares she believed she had left behind.
In a world teeming with treachery and unresolved emotions, the paths of the runaway queen and the reluctant prince intertwine in a gripping tale of high-stakes and self-discovery. As they navigate the dangers ahead, they must grapple with their pasts and each other, unsure of who they can truly trust.
