“Action, adventure, betrayal, and poison add up to a winner." — Booklist New York Times – bestselling author Rae Carson returns to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone fantasy-adventure starring an iconic heroine who fights for her family, her friends, and a place where she will belong. Fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Tahereh Mafi won’t want to put this book down. Red 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. Determined to prove her worth and protect her chosen family, she joins the Royal Guard, the world’s most elite fighting force. Someone at court has shadowy agenda that puts everything—and every one —she loves at risk. As danger closes in, it will be up to Red to save the empire. The series includes: The Girl of Fire and Thorns - The Crown of Embers - The Bitter Kingdom - The Empire of Dreams, a stand-alone companion novel “Carson returns to her Girl of Fire and Thorns world. . . . This novel develops a taut, self-contained, political mystery within the confined quarters of the Guard and the palace, with a few chapters set in the past showing Red's harrowing, traumatic history. . . . A rewarding stand-alone novel with effortless plotting and deft characterizations.” - Kirkus Reviews "Rousing . . . Red’s a strong, forthright, and feisty young woman . . . An exciting, satisfying read that will appeal to lovers of The Girl of Fire and Thorns." - School Library Journal “Carson creates a worthy and sympathetic hero in Red . . . Action, adventure, betrayal, and poison add up to a winner of a companion novel to be read alongside or after the [Girl of Fire and Thorns] series.” - Booklist “Set in the world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns , this engrossing fantasy follows two threads about protagonist Red. . . . Carson gives appropriate attention to the awkward moments encountered by the first female recruit in an elite fighting squad, but Red earns her place with talents and choices that will resonate with readers no matter their gender.” - Horn Book Magazine “Red is a realistically complex heroine, and her journey to belonging and healing feels genuinely depicted. . . . Rendered with nuance and care.” - Publishers Weekly "Fans will rejoice. . . . Carson effortlessly brings readers into her familiar, already well-developed world and its mangled politics, imparting a Tamora Pierce-esque flair to Red’s journey as she overcomes the obstacles that come with being an outsider." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Rae Carson  is the author of two bestselling and award-winning trilogies, as well as the acclaimed stand-alone novels  Any Sign of Life  and  The Empire of Dreams . Her debut,  The Girl of Fire and Thorns , was named a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Andre Norton Award finalist.  Walk on Earth a Stranger  was longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award and won the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Her books tend to contain adventure, magic, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. Originally from California, Rae Carson now lives in Ohio with her husband. www.raecarson.com