Bestselling author Alwyn Hamilton returns with a thrilling tale featuring a glamorous media darling and a surprise heiress in a magical competition. At sixteen, Honora Nora Holtzfall is the daughter of Walstad's most powerful heiress, controlling the nation's wealth and magic. Despite her prominence, Nora feels like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family fortune and throne become contested, thrusting Nora into the Veritaz, a fierce competition that determines the sole heir. Complicating matters is Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora's aunt, who is suddenly brought into the fold from a rural convent. As Lotte adjusts to her new life, she realizes that many in her newfound family want her dead. Nora soon uncovers that her mother's death was murder, and the only ally she can trust is a charming reporter who loathes her family's legacy. Meanwhile, Lotte's quest to discover her father's identity intertwines with her growing feelings for Theo, a protector of the Holtzfalls. Both girls face incredible challenges, impossible choices, and deadly stakes, knowing that only one can emerge victorious.
