Quen was born cursed with a second, shadow soul. Sensing the oddity within, animals run from her-an untenable trait in a herding culture. On the cusp of her twentieth year, Quen is at risk of becoming pesha-no one.
When a dragon murders Quen's father, her world is turned upside down. As her anger grows, so does her untapped power. Fueled by a quest for vengeance, she joins a vigilante group of mages and rogues hunting the beast. But her journey soon reveals a terrible truth: her battle prowess has caught dangerous eyes. And now, she has become the hunted.
At the end of her journey, her fate will be sealed. Can Quen overcome her curse and unite her warring souls? Or will her shadow soul consume her-and everyone she loves?