Upon returning from the south, Wynter Moorehawke and her sick father, Protector Lord Lorcan Moorehawke re-enter the court of the king to find it much changed; and changed for the worst. Alberon, the king’s heir and one of Wynter’s friends from long ago, has been disinherited and is missing. Alberon’s half-brother Razi, Wynter and Alberon’s other childhood companion, is now in line for the throne, and the people are not happy. To further complicate things, there is the introduction of Razi’s puzzling and secretive friend Christopher. Wynter must try to unravel the mystery surrounding Alberon’s disappearance and the cloud of secrecy surrounding the king’s crazed altering of the court, all the while caring for her gravely ill father.

Utterly compelling, Celine Keirnan’s characters are so completely real that you can’t help but be drawn in to this magnificently crafted story. I am very glad that this book is part of a trilogy, as Keirnan’s style is so fluid and storyline so gripping that I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!