They are the only ring, made of 4 islands. Ilse #2, Water; #3, Sky; #4, Earth; and the unspoken Island, 01, the Isle of the Reckless.
Tema is of Island #4, of Earth. She longs to be of the Water, but the people of each island are isolated. The only thing she can do is join the Sea Soldiers, the King's navy, in 2 years, when she turns 21. Until then, she'll have to be content with sneaking off to the coast when she has time. But when a poisonous liquid from the Isle of the Reckless starts snaking its way onto the shores of Earth, Tema is allowed to go with the Sea Soldiers to investigate.
Malloy is a lonely student haunted by the nagging fear of her own failures. Her only escape is a recurring dream that soon turns into a nightmare. She enters the ring and soon becomes obsessed with helping Tema save her people.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
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