Empire of Dreams

Action, adventure, betrayal, and poison add up to a winner." ;BooklistNew York Times;bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. Fans of Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, and Tomi Adeyemi won&;t want to put this book down.Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair. But finally;after years and years of running, of fighting&;she is about to be adopted into the royal family by Empress Elisa herself. She;ll have a home, a family. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress&;s greatest rival blocks the adoption, and everything Red has worked for crumbles before her eyes.But Red is not about to let herself or the empress become a target again. Determined to prove her worth and protect her chosen family, she joins the Royal Guard, the world;s most elite fighting force. It&;s no coincidence that someone wanted her to fail as a princess, though. Someone whose shadowy agenda puts everything&;and everyone;she loves at risk. As danger closes in, it will be up to Red to save the empire. If she can survive recruitment year;something no woman has ever done before.New York Times;bestselling author Rae Carson returns to the world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns in this action-packed fantasy-adventure starring an iconic heroine who fights for her family and her friends, and for a place where she will belong.