Two sisters. One crown. In the kingdom of Alara, children born as witches are taken to the Erlohn monastery to train their powers and be given a placement—to determine how they might best serve the kingdom. Two sisters, Calida and Thalia, are both born as witches despite neither of their parents being one. At the age of twelve, they are taken to the remote monastery. Though they plan to stick together, their paths quickly diverge. Quiet, ambitious Thalia hides her power and becomes a target for some of the other students. Calida trains hard but discovers that the life she wants may be out of reach. Both sisters are trapped by a system that views witches as little more than a means to an end. When a rare opportunity presents itself, Calida seizes it, and both sisters soon find themselves at the palace. They finally have a chance to change things for the better, for every witch in Alara. But the cost is higher than either of them could have imagined. A Tale of Two Sisters is the story that came before The Phoenix and the Crown , of how witches came to be hunted across Alara and how two sisters, once inseparable, became bitter enemies.