About the Book: The story is set in Aratay, where Queen Daleina is struggling to maintain peace after successfully preventing the elemental spirits of the land from wiping out humanity. Her central dilemma is that if she dies without a prepared heir, the spirits will run wild, slaughtering her people. The focus shifts to Naelin, a potential heir who couldn’t be more different from Daleina. Naelin lives a quiet life devoted to her two children and husband in a remote forest village and actively denies her powerful magic—the ability to control spirits—fearing it will bring death and separation. However, when Ven, the Queen’s champion who originally discovered Daleina, passes through the village and learns of Naelin’s gift, he becomes determined to recruit her to save Aratay. Though Naelin’s primary duty is to her children, the growing boldness of the spirits and ominous rumors from the north eventually force her to realize that protecting her family may require risking everything and embracing her power.