Eighteen years have passed since the city of Cephale was swept by the Change, a terrible plague of madness which culminated in the murder of the entire royal family. Though people still fear to speak of those days, there are persistent rumours that one baby girl survived the attack – and now Iris's best friend has come up with a daring plot to convince the city that she's the lost princess. Iris thinks he's crazy, but somehow, despite herself, she gets caught up in the deception and is soon on her way to the throne.
The risk of exposure is enormous, and even if she can keep everyone fooled, there are plenty of other challenges for this novice queen: finding a solution to a shortage of the quicksilver powder which is the source of all magic in Cephale, fending off admirers like charismatic Lester Ziranil, foiling the odd assassination attempt, and, oh yes, dealing with her unrequited feelings for Flynn.
Then Iris stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the very existence of her city, and all of a sudden the Pretender finds herself facing perils which are all too real.
