The students at Istrin College know there are only two options in first year: Rise in the ranks, or die. At this lethal school, the strength of a student’s magic is directly dependent on the class rank they earn in the Istrin Trials, and murdering your classmates to get to the top is not only expected, but encouraged.

When common-born dock worker Quinn Saxton is unexpectedly forced to enter Istrin, she knows the odds are not in her favour. But Quinn is used to being crushed under the heel of the people beside her, so she’s more than willing to spill a little of their blood to walk out alive. What she doesn't expect is to find an unlikely ally in Rennick Allard, the son of one of the most powerful magical families in Acith. But his allure is hard to ignore.

In order to survive, Quinn must navigate scheming, vicious students who believe themselves above her, all while struggling with her emerging feelings for Rennick – feelings she can’t afford in this literal cutthroat environment. Quinn will do whatever it takes to keep herself from being powerless, even if it means being cold-blooded enough to not just survive the Istrin Trials, but to win.