For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts his younger sister, Nadia, as payment to enter the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal--kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia's freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny;...

In a snow-cloaked kingdom, two rival servants--one who desperately wants to win the approval of the Red Jaga and the other who hopes to escape the Black Jaga--compete for the pure heart of a prince, only to discover they might be falling for each other instead. Includes author's note.