Quen wasn't born to save the world.

She was created to destroy it.

Quen Santu works for her father tanning hides, waiting for her tides to turn. Quen yearns for belonging and a love to call her own. But Quen was born cursed with a second, shadow soul. Sensing the oddity within, animals run from her-an untenable trait in a herding culture. On the cusp of her twentieth year, Quen is at risk of becoming pesha-no one.

On the day a mysterious stranger reveals a dark prophecy, a dragon kills Quen's father. The murder turns her life upside down and dashes her hope for an honorable life. Anger fuels Quen's quest for vengeance, and she joins a vigilante group hunting the murderous dragon. Her journey across the continent reveals terrible truths. That the power-hungry Dynasty can ruin a life with an edict. That a shadowy dragon cult has laid claim to her. And that even the leader of a revered institution aims to control Quen's growing power.

But the most valuable truth awaits at the end of her journey.

Will Quen finally overcome her curse and unite her warring souls? Or will her shadow soul consume her-and everyone she loves?

"A real epic in the making and a story that resonates. [Wright's] powers of descriptions are first-class, and her worldbuilding impressive. She presents her world with great clarity... descriptions of locale, interiors, and dress are fabulously rich and detailed. The scenes in Qulla are especially sumptuous and vivid, and it's impossible to not believe in such a place: a fabulous work." Dario Ciriello, Editor