The only thing worse than the Darkhearts is their ruler. Azira knew that well, but she'd never expected to come quite so close to experiencing the truth of it. Now, in order to save her foolish brother from the Darkheart gallows, she strikes a bargain with the Ice King, a king famed for his cruelty and maliciousness, and in doing so, sets off a chain of events Azira could never have foreseen. More is afoot here than she knows, and as other political powers come into play, Azira's fate is more entwined with the king of Darkhearts than ever.