Ever since Aster’s mother died, home no longer feels like home. Now, she’s little more than a prisoner behind gilded bars; her father growing more distant by the day, her best friend missing and possibly left for dead.

So when a letter from the royal family arrives, inviting her to stay in the palace, Aster agrees.

She’s only been to the palace once, a memory she’s replayed countless times in her head, during her first fateful encounter with her fiancé. But when she comes face to face with Florian once more, he’s cold and apathetic; a far cry from the boy she used to dream of.

As Aster struggles to come to terms with Florian’s new demeanour, life in the palace reveals more than it’s rose covered façade. The maze within its gardens hides thorns that cut deep, and the spirits who call it home want nothing more than to see her go.

With all the odds against her, winning over her begrudging fiancé and the rest of the peanut gallery seems next to impossible. But with the help of her unflappable maid Fina, a brutally blunt swindler, and the apprentice of the palace’s magical deviant, maybe Aster might just have a shot at her happily ever after.

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Cover art credits - @mnt_kaedi on Instagram