Raised in isolation, Tarisai yearns for the closeness she could have as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11, but her mother, The Lady, has magically compelled Tarisai to kill the Crown Prince.

Tarisai longs for the warmth of a family. But her mother's plans for her include a magical command that Tarisai kill the crown prince once she gains his trust. Can Tarisai resist being made a pawn?

Contending with the lives of her loved ones in danger, assassination attempts, and a new stranger she can't quite trust, Empress Redemptor Tarisai must decide if she is willing to die for justice--or to live for it. An Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities. Tarisai is determined to survive, but months into her shaky reign as empress she is haunted by child spirits, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire. She fears the pressure may consume her-- if the assassination attempts don't kill her. But Tarisai must either die for justice-- or live for it. -- adapted from jacket