Mirage, triumphant in her coup of the Amber Empire, returns to the palais prepared to take her place as Empress. With support of her friends and a blossoming romance with Sunder, Mirage is on the cusp of taking hold of everything she has wanted. When the Empress Severine's body is recovered from the battle, she is not dead, but in a coma-- and she still represents a threat to Mirage's power. Worse, a distant cousin, Gavin d'Ars, Duc de Douane, appears in court to challenge both women with his blood claim. Mirage proposes a series of trials to determine the most deserving heir. Will the battle for control leave anyone untainted? -- adapted from jacket