Seventeen-year old Amaya Saltsborum may be the eldest princess of Alwinia, but her opinion means nothing in a patriarchal monarchy. When her parents demand she marry the arrogant prince of Maluno to improve their dwindling provisions and ignore Amaya’s alternative, she takes matters into her own hands. She explores the forbidden Western Woods for a rumored high-yield grain, caroypia.

Her brother and heir, Cole, follows her to protect her from the forest’s dangers and the crown. They cross into Vesperia, a hidden nation of six magical species, and are captured. Vesperia’s leaders plan to erase their memories or ensure they never return home. 

To save Cole, Amaya must outsmart a stoic soldier, Grayson, who is more attractive than she is willing to admit, and find a way to escape. She discovers a secret coup and must stop them to save her brother’s life and the fate of both kingdoms.