No one should doubt that vampires really exist—they live near us and sometimes use their unusual skills. But few know that in America, in the very heart of Montana, there is a real Academy where vampires are trained in the highest art of magic. And almost nobody knows that in the world there are bloody vampire wars, and the Strigoi race—vampires who have crossed the line of the law and are not averse to murder—opposes the moroi. Even the walls of the Academy, the holiest of holy places of science, aren’t a reliable defense against the schemes of dark forces. Young Moroi princess Lissa and Rose, her friend and loyal guard, discover this firsthand when they find themselves in the epicenter of terrifying events.