"Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences. In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues...

"As the exiled Queen of Faerie, Jude must travel back to Elfhame to help her twin sister, Taryn, and uncover how to break a dark curse threatening the whole Faerie world"-- Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan's betrayal....

Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame, visits the mortal world to face the troll woman, Aslog of the West. Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, Cardan was a faerie child with a heart of stone...and a wicked tongue. Born into a family overburdened with heirs, nourished on cat milk and contempt, perhaps it's no surprise he turned out the way he did. This is the story of Elfhame's enigmatic high king, Cardan-- and his visits the mortal...