A true man won't cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes.' With her death foretold, Althea - Thea - only has three years to become what she's always dreamed of being: a warrior legend. But in Thezmarr, women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms. Wilder Hawthorne is her brooding, powerful and unwilling warrior chaperone. The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder. All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms. Will Thea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr, or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

• Format: Paperback / softback
• Publication Date: 03/11/2026
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Country of Origin: United Kingdom
• Pages: 464