Jae is a slave in a dying desert world.ย
Once verdant with water from a magical Well, the land is drying up, and no one remembers the magic needed to keep the water flowing. If a new source isnโt found soon, the people will perish. Jae doesnโt mind, in a way. By law, she is bound by a curse to obey every order given her, no matter how vile. At least in death, sheโll be free.ย
Elanโs family rules the fading realm. He comes to the estate where Jae works, searching for the hidden magic needed to replenish the Well, but itโs Jae who finds it, and she who must wield it. Desperate to save his realm, Elan begs her to use it to locate the Well.ย
But why would a slaveโabused, beaten, and treated as less than humanโwant to save the system that shackles her? Jae would rather see the world burn.ย
Though revenge clouds her vision, she agrees to help if the realmโs slaves are freed. Then Elanโs father arrives. The rulerโs cruelty knows no limits. He is determined that the class system will not changeโand that Jae will remain a slave forever.
"Ferocious and intelligent." โKirkus Reviews
"Allenโs lush debut mixes current, pressing questions with fantasy while exploring systematic injustice and historical oppression...readers will clamor for the sequel." โPublishers Weekly