"Its brutality, eloquence, and scope are a breathtaking combination." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

On the eve of Princess Sophia's wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. Things are seldom as they seem here -- and when an errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.