From the New York Times bestselling author of SIX CRIMSON CRANES
comes a tale of two sisters--one as beautiful as the other is
monstrous--who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest
gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever.
One sister must fall for the other to rise.
Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in
sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a
serpent's face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister,
Vanna--the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn't
see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.
Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will
enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who's had to
rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister
against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the
target of his wrath--launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land
and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain
Channi's heart to its breaking point.
Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes
with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian
folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this
thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of
beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.
