Three sisters, three callings. Morna, forced to fight the siren call of water at every breath. Adair, born with the mysterious powers of her Nothern mother. Brenna, crushed under the weight of a life of obscurity and poverty. The Ildersong girls were born on the wrong side of Fate. Each tries to run from what they are, but the world does not work that way. As Morna hides in her meekness, Adair creates an icy kingdom to lock the world out, and Brenna does anything to become queen, they find through blood and tears that Fate cannot be tricked or bargained with. They must come to terms with their destinies, or face the horrible consequences that threaten to destroy everything they might hold dear.

Audrey Kepler wants to breathe, to run, to live. It should be a given, after all, a gift everyone receives at birth. The day she gets on the bus is the day she finally admits to herself that being alive and living are two separate things. And Audrey wants to live. When she meets Eli Davis, a mysterious, quiet, and timid boy, she assumes that they are opposites. But, they are more similar than she could have ever imagined. Eli wants to live, he thinks. He at least wants to taste what it's like before he decides. She was the sun; warm, bright, radiant, and full of the purest light. He was the stars; distant and scarce, yet fascinating and effervescent if you took the time to look closely enough. They seem so different at first glance, the sun and the stars, but they are just alike.