Half a year has passed since Emily Stout set sail to fulfill her destiny.Lucifan, family, and friends are nothing more than a treasured memory, left in the past along with a life she chose not to have. For the first time, she is on her own, both free to do as she pleases and without aid to protect her from the consequences. It is a daunting prospect, for the world she lives in is renowned for its danger. Every land is filled with terrible creatures and equally terrifying people, and Emily's path ahead is shrouded in uncertainty.Her destination, Juatwa, is a place she knows only by name, and after six months at sea, she's still only halfway there. Between her and Juatwa lies Savara, an ancient and massive land of sand, blood, and chaos. Its tale is one of forgotten glory, and its reputation one of ruinous turmoil. Known as the Grand Desert, it is a place that has seen entire civilizations meet their end.And Emily means to cross it.