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 was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of eleven. The Lady has made a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won't stand by and become someone's pawn, but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

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.