"When nineteen-year-old Tycho, the King's Courier, arrives in the remote village of Briarlock, he hopes to escape the demands of his new life in the royal court, where magic reigns for the first time in ages. He doesn't expect to fall for a handsome blacksmith with a bruised heart. After years of cruelty in his father's forge, Jax never dared to dream of a better life--until a magic-wielding young lord shows him an enticing alternative. But when rumors of a rebellion reach Briarlock, Jax wonders who he can trust--and if he'll even survive. Jax's best friend, Callyn, doesn't trust anyone--especially not a handsome stranger with magic, which killed her parents years ago. When another royal emissary arrives, seeing a co-conspirator, Callyn finds herself embroiled in a plot that could lead them all to ruin. . . As tensions flare throughout the kingdom, it won't be long before everyone must choose a side. War is brewing. Passions are building. And magic may doom -- or save -- them all."-- Fantastic Fiction.