Princess Sylvalla has faced dragons and proven herself a hero—but her greatest trials are about to begin. Phetero, the king she accidentally kidnapped, is determined to have vengeance—and the threat of marriage to Prince Francis looms. Francis may be sweet, have proven he can draw swords from stones, and be the only prince in all the Seven Kingdoms who will have her, but Sylvalla is not the marrying kind.

Terrifying as it is, the threat of marriage becomes the least of Sylvalla's problems as King Phetero's grudge turns from war into something more sinister. The prophecies are dire, but what help can they be against the ancient horror King Phetero plans to unleash?

Jonathan heard the rush of power as Sylvalla swore to avenge her father.

“The fool!” Capro Goodfellow roared. “The little fool. I cannot leave her for a moment, and already she is wishing things. Worse, vowing things. Will she never learn?”

“Father, you should have said.”

“Ah, yes, I should have, and I did, but I do not think the words were writ large enough or plain enough for her to see them. They did not fill the sky with blackened ink, nor set the ground to trembling—although her words just might. Foolish mortal, does she have any idea? Does she know what she has done?”

If you're a fan of Terry Pratchett's Colour of Magic, William Goldman's The Princess Bride, or Diana Wynne Jones' The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, you'll love this new adventure by USA Today best-selling and Sir Julius Vogel Award-winning author A.J. Ponder.