MAGIC HAS RETURNED TO IOSIA, AND NO ONE IN THE KINGDOM IS SAFE... NOT THE HEIR, AND CERTAINLY NOT, THE SPARE. Long ago, chaos and fear permeated every region of Iosia, until the first Thorne King, with the help of his Sentinels-shifters with the ability to transform between human and animal forms-defeated the Onyx King, and banished his evil magicians to the desolate region of Valdisia. Since that day, all of Iosia has enjoyed peace and prosperity under the rule of the House of Thorne. However, not everything is good, or fair, or just within the Kingdom. The once revered Sentinels are now forced to live on the outskirts of society, shunned because of fear and prejudice. The Undesirables-the exiled descendants of the Onyx magicians-remain trapped behind The Guardian border wall; forced to live in squalor as penance for the sins of their ancestors. Seventeen-year-old Princess Ysabelle Thorne is the beautiful and ambitious heir, willing to do anything to attain her birthright-even marrying the enemy-a man who threatens not only her future, but also her heart. While Ysabelle loves being a princess, her younger sister, Dahlia, does not. Sixteen-year-old Princess Dahlia is the feisty, rebellious Spare who longs for a life beyond the castle walls-free from the restrictive rules of her royal family, her sister's relentless bullying, and society's judgmental glares-where she does not have to conceal her disabilities from the world... A life where she can spread her wings and fly. After centuries of peace, trouble is brewing in Iosia. King Leopold seeks to quell the unrest and prevent war with a royal wedding. For the first time since the Guardian Wall was erected, those of Thorne and Onyx blood stand side-by-side in Thorne Castle, but all is not as it seems. Magic exists once more in the Kingdom. Darkness is lurking; feeding on secrets, seeking to pit sister against sister-Heir against Spare-and alter not only their destinies, but those of all Iosia. A YA FANTASY featuring strong female characters