In this lush epic fantasy, an empress yearning for freedom, a half fairy who has renounced humanity, and a clever spirit with his own agenda must save an empire on the brink of world-ending war.Yifan, fourth wife of a wicked emperor, is patiently plotting his demise. All the while, she’s pursued by Jin, a handsome fox spirit who comes to her nightly with devious bargains. She has resisted his allure…so far. But as her husband’s cruelty grows, time is running out and the forces of a nutcracker army are growing stronger against their kingdom.From far beyond those borders comes an unlikely ally: Nanmu, a half-mortal princess of the Peacock Kingdom who renounced the human world to live in peace with her fairy kin. But to save her banished sister, Nanmu returns to the Middle Empire, where beauty spells danger and magic runs wild.With war brewing and their worlds colliding, Yifan and Nanmu must forge dangerous alliances as the fate of their kingdoms hangs in the balance. If they fail, an empire falls—and neither of their worlds will survive.
