For ten years, Eliza has lived with a foster family far from home, protected from the plague that has been ravaging her parents' kingdom. But when her stepmother the Queen dies of the plague, her quiet life changes forever.

With the kingdom in chaos, it's up to teenaged Eliza to find her long-lost brothers, save their homeland — and claim her rightful place on the throne. An ingenious, feminist update of the Hans Christian Andersen story that bursts with adventure, all the way to the thrilling climax.