Allanora, Princess of Lynnea, has spent her whole life being groomed for the throne. Her life is all mapped out except for the biggest decision of all-choosing her husband. Everything changes when her mother, Queen Violet, is murdered before the entire kingdom, and Allanora is pushed to ascend as Queen sooner than expected. With darkness looming over her head, she finds herself kidnapped, fighting for her own life in the hands of the assassin, Rylan Thorne. Trapped in Astinia, a rival kingdom far from her own home, she grapples with diplomacy, an unwanted marriage, and unexpected feelings while trying to make sense of a growing power even she doesn't know she has.