Get your blade ready to defeat the undead. The dead are cruel and unpredictable. Island magic breeds undead—undead that the House of Bones fights. For Ren to become a valkyrie—a warrior fighting ghosts—is a chance to strengthen her place in the house and impress her father. But after a failed trial, the girl faces exile to the border of the fracture, around which the dead roam. What if she gets a chance to win back her family’s respect? When the prince of the House of Gold is kidnapped—arriving at the fortress for an inspection—Ren finally gets her opportunity to prove herself and save the heir. Even if it means crossing the border in the company of Julian, the sworn enemy of the House of Bones. They’ll have to work together, because behind the prince’s disappearance lies real danger: a dark alliance between the living and the dead.