Aceria is a corrupt land, under the rule of a tyrannical King, and Fyra, a thief who is more than she seems, has seen the kingdom's suffering firsthand. She worked as a slave in the iron mines at Redmont, and wandered the impoverished towns and cities. She saw her mother slaughtered right in front of her, and has seen people with gifts like hers burned, drowned and imprisoned. She doesn't believe she had the strength to change anything. So Fyra runs, town to town, living off the wealthy. Fyra is keeping secrets: about who she is, her affinity for fire, and the dark forces poisoning the kingdom. When she is caught, and brought to Castle Bluedale, the place she has only seen in her nightmares, she befriends the prince, a charming yet infuriating mystery. But her past comes back to haunt her, and new enemies in the castle bring her nightmares to life.