<b>Lyrical, imaginative, and wholly original, this <i>New York Times</i> bestseller with 8 starred reviews is not to be missed. Rachel Hartman’s award-winning debut will have you looking at dragons as you’ve never imagined them before…</b><br><b></b><br>In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer.<b></b><br><br>The newest member of the royal court, a uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that she guards with all of her being.<br><br>When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina’s struggle to protect her secret becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life.<br><b></b><br>&quot;Will appeal to both fans of Christopher Paolini’s <i>Eragon</i> series and Robin McKinley’s<i>The Hero and the Crown</i>.&quot; —<i>Entertainment Weekly</i><br><br>“[A] lush, intricately plotted fantasy.” —<i>The Washington Post</i><br><br>&quot;Beautifully written. Some of the most interesting dragons I've read.&quot;<br>—Christopher Paolini, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of Eragon<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>