For centuries, the weather witches have ruled Nizam, protecting the oasis city from the devastating sandstorms that threaten its existence.

But the aging queen is dying, and Yolara, the heir to the throne, does not possess the gift of weather magic found only in her family line. Hers is the power over stone, the ability to command the shifting sands - but not the winds that drive them across the desert.

Will those who question Yolara's right to rule be proven right? Or can Yolara find a way to defend the city that does not rely on weather magic? Time is short, for the storm season is upon them, and the next storm could reach the city any day...