First published in 2014 by Balzer + Bray, it is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, audiobook, at local libraries, or through the Libby app.

Raasch introduces a world she crafted: eight Kingdoms, each with its own customs, ideals, and magic. Sixteen years ago, the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved. They lost their magic and monarch. The Winterians’ hope rests on eight survivors who escaped capture and wait for a chance to steal back their magic to rebuild their Kingdom.

The main character, Meira, is one of those survivors. Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, she has lived her entire life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. She is also deeply in love with her oldest friend, Mather, the future king.

Meira isn’t one of those pseudo-feminist protagonists. She’s a fighter who wants to be noticed.

I wanted to be a soldier. Someone who would earn standing in Winter. Someone Sir would look at with pride.

She goes on a scouting mission to find the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic. The mission fails, and she soon finds herself caught in dangerous politics and evil magic. She realizes her destiny was never hers. Her refusal to be beaten down, physically or by society’s expectations, reveals her complex character.

Caught in a love triangle between the boy she’s known and loved her entire life.

Mather never got mad at me for pulling him into mischief or for breaking during Sir’s interrogations. He’d just smile, throw his arm around me, and say something encouraging. Mather has always been a king, every moment of his life.

Prince Theron and Raasch made it impossible for her readers to hate him. Theron is a kind, generous prince. Playful, quotes poetry, and he cares about his people and not just for show.

He knows all of them. Every single one. And not only that, but he seems genuinely interested in them, remembering not only dozens of faces but also the smallest details about how that back acre of farmland is doing, did the trade with Yakim go well last week, is your daughter settled with her new husband yet?

It makes it hard for a girl to choose: the soldier she knows or the poet willing to start a war for her. It’s a tightrope of excitement.

Raasch adds multiple obstacles in Meira’s way: the Decay ripping across the land, the evil tyrant intent on destroying the Kingdoms.

The book doesn’t offer a new plot; it has Game of Thrones vibes in a YA voice. Strong heroine, royal politics, reclaiming a kingdom, magic, and a love triangle are woven seamlessly in this fantasy world with well-rounded characters. Webs of relationships and strained ties keep the tension taut throughout. It earns 3.5 stars and is a perfect fit for fans of C.J. Redwine’s Defiance series or Erin Beaty’s The Traitor’s Circle.