In the Cyrilian Empire, the gifts Affinites use to control the world are unnatural and dangerous. Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a secret and deadly Affinity to blood; it is her curse, and the reason she has lived her life behind palace walls. When Ana's father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. To clear her name, she must find her father's murderer on her own. Corruption rules the land, and a conspiracy that threatens the balance of Ana's world is at work. Ramson Quicktongue is the only person corrupt enough to help Ana get to the core of the conspiracy.