The path west is long, but despite Selena's progress, New Canaan is
never far enough behind her. It was there that her parents were killed,
forcing her and her little brother Simon to flee the tyrannical state.
Now, New Canaan wants control over every last inch of America-That-Was.
Only the Republic of California can stand against it--but not without
the data stick in Selena's pocket, rumored to contain vital information
about New Canaan's deadly new weapon. As winter closes in, Selena races
south in search of an open passage to the coast. She must pass through
Nuevo Juarez, where a ruthless leader named Thorin has seized power.
Selena runs afoul of Thorin's men and is separated from her brother,
captured, and auctioned off at the city's thriving slave market. Her
only way out is through the Iron Circle, a fighting ring where the
city's most fearsome warriors pit their skills against one another. As
the populace and Thorin watch Selena rise through the ranks, Selena
earns a reputation she doesn't want and the attention of man with the
power to destroy her and what's left of America-That-Was.