''A chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future . . . A pleasure to read'' Ann Leckie

''Sparks fly'' NPR

''A stunning new space opera debut'' K. B. Wagers

The Iskat Empire rules its vassal planets through a system of treaties - so when Prince Taam, key figure in a political alliance, is killed, a replacement must be found. His widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with the disreputable aristocrat Kiem, in a bid to keep rising hostilities between two worlds under control. But Prince Taam''s death may not have been an accident, and when Jainan himself is a suspect, he and Kiem must navigate the perils of the Iskat court, solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war . . .

***Winner of an ALA Alex Award***
***Sunday Times bestseller***

''Has everything you could ask: impossible choices, divided loyalties, dry wit . . . charming slow-burn romance, and an adventure in space politics'' A. K. Larkwood

''High-pitched noises escaped me; I shouted, more than once, ''Now kiss!''...in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there''s a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept'' The New York Times Book Review

''Dazzling . . . Its characters stayed with me long after I raced through the last chapters'' Aliette de Boddard

Everina Maxwell''s debut is a space opera with high-stakes multi-world politics and irresistibly engaging characters, perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. An LGBTQ romance and Tiktok/Booktok sensation. Find the author on Twitter at @av_stories

From the same author:
OCEAN''S ECHO