"It's lonely, being powerful, isn't it?"

River has always been powerful, dangerous, deadly. A prophecy persuaded her to trade her entire world for a glorious future, where she is destined to rule. But when she awakes, the world has changed completely. Here, no one has heard of the prophecy. A corrupt militaristic religion rules the world, and those already in power want her dead. With nothing left except the magic that runs in her blood, River is forced to join forces with the last person she would have chosen - a grubby peasant boy.

Col is a charismatic young man, eager to use his charm to work his way up in the Order of the Hand... despite the fact that he suspects their god is a fake. All he wants is to save his village from poverty, but when he discovers the truth about the Order, he endangers his life, as well as the lives of everyone he loves. Is he destined to spend his life as an outlaw? Or can he, with the help of the hostile and prideful River, forge a new future for themselves?