<b>Uncover a riveting story of palace intrigue set in a sumptuous Asian-inspired fantasy world in the breakout YA novel that <i>Publisher&apos;s Weekly<i> calls "elegant and adrenaline-soaked."</i></i></b><i><i><br /><br /> In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it&apos;s Lei they&apos;re after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king&apos;s interest. <br /><br /> Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king&apos;s consort. There, she does the unthinkable: she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world&apos;s entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she&apos;s willing to go for justice and revenge.</i></i>