Yelena has fled to Sitia, her long-lost birthplace, but she is treated like an enemy and is still learning to control her magical powers when a rogue magician emerges and targets her as his next victim.

Author Maria V. Snyder wowed readers with Poison Study, the unforgettable story of poison taster Yelena. Now she's back with a new tale of intrigue. Once, only her own life hung in the balance... Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands-and protect her relationship...

Author Maria V. Snyder brings her Poison Study series to its exhilarating conclusion Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond-and a family-that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia. Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the...