eight years have passed since the young princess bitterblue and her country were saved from the vicious king leck now bitterblue is the queen of monsea and her land is at peacebut the influence of her father a violent psychopath with mindaltering abilities lives on her advisers who have run the country on her behalf since lecks death believe in a forwardthinking plan to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during lecks reign and to forget every dark event that ever happened monseas past has become shrouded in mystery and its only when bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle curious disguised and alone to walk the streets of her own city that she begins to realise the truth her kingdom has been under the thirtyfiveyear long spell of a madman and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the pastwhatever that past holdstwo thieves who have sworn only to steal what has already been stolen change her life forever they hold a key to the truth of lecks reign and one of them who possesses an unidentified grace may also hold a key to her heart