An Instant Indie Bestseller! An Apple Best Book of the Month! A USA Today and Barnes and Noble Most Anticipated Book of the Year! "This new exciting fantasy absolutely soars and proves Petra to be a new force in the genre." — Cosmopolitan "An instant classic." — The Washington Post In this unforgettable fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Olivie Blake, Brandon Sanderson, and R.F. Kuang, a desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it's rotting from the inside out. But Ana can't afford to escape it, even as the wealthiest in Caimor buy and discard expensive designer bodies without a thought. When she fails to gain admittance to the prestigious Paragon Academy—and access to the healthy new forms the school provides its students—her final hope implodes. Now without options, Ana must use her illusion magic to try to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her. But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith. With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of renegades: an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Brandon Sanderson, Lev Grossman, and R.F. Kuang. "Totally gripping and overflowing with delicious angst." —Alice Oseman, bestselling creator of Heartstopper "The ruthless, remarkable world you've been waiting for." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times - bestselling author of These Violent Delights