For centuries, the treaty between the living and the dead has hinged on a singular, brutal law: a human queen must always sit atop the throne by the Vampyr King's side. King Vastion has outlived six such queens, his reign a weary cycle of grief and duty.
As the latest crown falls, the territories of Devana prepare for the next Season, each paying tribute in a ceremony called the Harvest. Four human females will be considered for the throne, but only one will be chosen. The fringe territory of Leto has watched Seasons come and go from afar-until now. Esiree's family is intent on her claiming the throne as part of a plot to bring the Vampyr to their knees.
But as the foundations of the monarchy begin to crack, a darker hunger stirs. The Forlorn-monstrous remnants of the Blood Reign-are threatening to destroy humans and Vampyr alike.
Forced to live in the Vampyr city, isolated from humans, will Esiree uncover truths she's never imagined, or will her hate for their kind grow with each passing day? The balance between monsters and mortals rests in their joined hands.