They killed my mother. They took our magic. They wanted to bury us. Time to get up. Zélie Adebola still remembers the time when the land of Orisa was buzzing with magic. Burners lit the fire, Flooders channeled the water, and Zélie's mother, who was a Reaper, summoned the souls. But everything changed the night the magic disappeared. An evil king killed the mages, depriving Zélie of her mother and her people of hope. Zélie now has a chance to bring back the magic and fight back against the monarchy. With the help of a fugitive princess, she must outwit and outwit the heir to the throne, who is determined to destroy the very essence of magic. Orisa is a fearsome place, where snowdrops raid and vengeful spirits lurk in the waters, but the greatest danger may be Zélie herself, who is struggling to learn how to control her power - and her growing attraction to an enemy.