NAMES ARE IMPORTANT. BEWARE THE PRETENDER. Eleven years after the fatal accident of her brother, Juliet Barrows still lives in the shadows of her past. While the surface is idyllic—loving parents, a best friend, and a job—it is merely an illusion. And Juliet’s shaky foundations are exposed when a portal sends her into another world filled with cultural differences and deception. Alone in a small sea town, Juliet is warned by a seer of impending danger: the northern raiders. She escapes, only to be confronted with a difficult decision: accompany the one person set on liberating the captured townspeople or find her own way home. In her desire for freedom, both for herself and the people, she chooses to go. Along the way, they are joined by a man cloaked in mystery, who claims they have no chance without him. Just when the trio think the tide is turning, an uprising against the king draws them into its ranks under the threat of death. Caught in the middle and fighting for survival, Juliet realizes that confronting her fears and uncertainty is only the beginning. Rather than hiding from her past, she must learn from it in order to survive what is to come. Rebellions, enslavement, rivalries, and secrets layer upon each other in this medieval Japanesque society, where conspiracy abounds and even friends may not be what they seem.

THE THOUGHT HAD TAKEN ROOT, AND NOW THOSE ROOTS SPREAD. Only a week has passed since her friend’s village was annihilated. Now Juliet Barrows has to face her grief and memories of the carnage alone as she wanders the mountain refuge. Filled with anger at the atrocities King Cruelon ignores, she dives into helping the uprising against him. Fueled by a vision of which their seer has of Juliet at Cruelon’s court, Tristan, the leader of the uprising, convinces Juliet that infiltration is their only option. Pushing away her doubts and fears, she prepares for the coming crucible in the clutches of Cruelon and his impenetrable fortress. Unsettled by the plan gone askew, ensnared by court politics, and at odds with some of the king’s harem, Juliet doesn’t know who to trust. Where is the spy Tristan told her would be there? In the day-to-day grind of court life, Juliet struggles to survive. She must fight against giving into the growing despair of ever returning home. Doubts fester as Juliet fears for her life and the lives of her friends. The uprising is faltering, and if Juliet fails in her mission, all hope will be lost. The cultural customs and suspicions of this Japanesque society reach a climax as Juliet faces unseen challenges in the king’s court that will test her friendships beyond belief.