NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the critically acclaimed author of SIX CRIMSON CRANES comes a fantasy tale of two sistersone as beautiful as the other is monstrouswho 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 serpents face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vannathe only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesnt see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.
Now at seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, whos 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 wrathlaunching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channis 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.
