'A chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future . . . A pleasure to read' Ann Leckie 'Sparks fly' NPR 'A stunning new space opera debut' K. B. Wagers The Iskat Empire rules its vassal planets through a system of treaties - so when Prince Taam, key figure in a political alliance, is killed, a replacement must be found. His widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with the disreputable aristocrat Kiem, in a bid to keep rising hostilities between two worlds under control. But Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and when Jainan himself is a suspect, he and Kiem must navigate the perils of the Iskat court, solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war . . . ***Winner of an ALA Alex Award*** ***Sunday Times bestseller*** 'Has everything you could ask: impossible choices, divided loyalties, dry wit . . . charming slow-burn romance, and an adventure in space politics' A. K. Larkwood 'High-pitched noises escaped me; I shouted, more than once, 'Now kiss!'...in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there's a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept' The New York Times Book Review 'Dazzling . . . Its characters stayed with me long after I raced through the last chapters' Aliette de Boddard Everina Maxwell's debut is a space opera with high-stakes multi-world politics and irresistibly engaging characters, perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. An LGBTQ romance and Tiktok/Booktok sensation. Find the author on Twitter at @av_stories From the same author: OCEAN'S ECHO)