Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter and absolute spitting image of the late Black Witch, the most powerful mage her people, the Gardnerians, have ever known. Yet while everyone she meets expects her to live up to Carnissa Gardner’s formidable legacy, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above nearly all else.
The Gardnerian seers are foretelling a coming battle between a dangerous, fire-wielding Icaral demon and a new, incredibly powerful Black Witch, the outcome of which will determine the future of Gardneria. At a time when assassins and trackers of every race are scouring the lands, eager to protect one and kill the other, Elloren is faced with a greater reality; one that shatters her beliefs about her own people and reveals a legacy of privilege, cruelty and intolerance. As a result, she finds herself befriending those she once considered to be enemies, and manages to bring together an extraordinary army of rebellious misfits united in their determination to change their world.