Caes's story continues as she is forced to navigate a treacherous balance between her duty to the empire she is set to inherit–and her heart. Caes defeated the princess who wanted her dead and is now heir to the Malithian throne—but instead of reveling in her newfound power, she is miserable. She was never taught how to rule, and now she's being expected to quell a rebellion in Ardinan, her former homeland. She was never instructed in diplomacy, and now she's expected to maneuver through the empire's complicated relationships and the viper pit that is the Malithian court. And if she fails, the emperor may decide she isn't fit to be heir–and execute her after all. And while navigating the treacherous world of politics, Caes is being pushed into marriage with the emperor's ambitious son so that she can give the emperor the Malithian-born heir he truly wanted. However, her heart belongs with the Soul Carver Alair, a relationship they must still keep hidden lest they face death–or worse.But when Alair is suddenly disgraced and his life imperiled, Caes must face these trials on her own—even as the god she awoke approaches her with a haunting familiarity, pulling Caes into a thousand-year-old divine war she never wanted. And she will decide who wins.