Sequel to the wholly original high fantasy YA Spin of Fate, set in an intricate world inspired by karma.

“Evocative of Sanderson, Pullman, and Fullmetal Alchemist, yet at the same time shockingly original.” —Rosaria Munda, author of Fireborne, on Spin of Fate

Mayana is burning. Following the rupture of the gate into the peaceful upper realm, warriors from the lower realm of Malin wage war on the kingdom. Born into scarcity, the warriors crave the lives of abundance they’ve been deprived of since birth. Meanwhile, the authorities of the upper realms race to fend off their attacks—and the key to their success may rest in gaining control of the planetary peacock snake, Azyaka.

For the Mayani princess Himalia, who prefers the company of beasts and books to humans, learning that the realms can be traversed challenges everything she's been taught. So when the authorities of the upper realms recruit her to bond with Azyaka, a dangerous task that would earn her control of the beast, she hesitates. After a life of disappointing her father, she should jump at the chance to help and bring honor to her family. But how can she stand by the authorities who built an empire on the suffering of others?

As Himalia grapples with her choices, the former members of the Balancers, a disbanded rebel group bringing aid to the unfortunate, choose their sides in the conflict. Aina seeks revenge against the leader of the lower realms, who killed her mother. Aranel sides with the lowers, driven by guilt for being born in an upper realm. And Meizan claims the mantle of his legacy by becoming chief of his Malini clan. When the three teens cross paths, as the attack on Mayana reaches a boiling point, they must reckon with their old, fractured friendships and their new reality as enemies at war.