The deserted canyons of Alcoro - and the people desperate enough to hide there - are very different from the luxurious glass castle and dense forests of Moquaya. But the cruel desert and the shining court are connected by the past, present and future: a history of kidnappings in the desert for the labor force in the factories and quarries of Mokwai, a dim future built on the sweat and sacrifices of these workers. But events in the present can change everything. In the desert, the bandit Lark, known to many as the bandit Sunshield, made a name for herself by attacking slaver carts and freeing captives. But while she attacks the foundations of Mokwaya, she also fights to protect those she has saved - and herself - from the cruel world around them. At Mokwaya's court, young ambassador Veran hopes to make his mark by eliminating the unfair labor system if he can get to the bottom of the strict hierarchy and the prince's strange hostility. And in the midst of it all, Tamzin, locked within four walls, is at the epicenter of a political conspiracy. Separated by seas of trees and sand, bandit, diplomat and captive are more connected than anyone realizes. Their destinies could change the balance of power in the Eastern world if that power does not destroy them.