A girl born into nothing. A prince who hates his family. A world encased in water.

Maliyah Adley was content with life. Despite the conditions caused by The Collapse, it was all she knew. Then, her family disappeared.

Reaching out wasn’t an option—the Royals would kill her if she did. She had to become self-sufficient, silently growing up in the Roots, until her eighteenth birthday, when she finally decided to swim up to the dock, bow her head by the Lavender Crystalline, and pray.

That’s when Alaric, youngest prince of the Great Cherry, makes an appearance. At first, terror strikes, but Maliyah soon realizes his true intentions: Alaric has been planning to overthrow the Royals, and ready to give his life for success, he needs someone to help him.

Everything changes after that. Maliyah not only learns that the world is far bigger than she thought, but that everything she knew was a lie. They form a team, including a cheerful designer with a passion for boating and Alaric’s witty armorer, who holds a powerful secret. Together, training begins.

Apart from it seeming impossible, only one flaw remains in their plan: Maliyah has become comfortable with her new life, and most crucially, with Alaric. She knows there’s a part of him that feels the same, and her desperation to bring it to the surface grows by the day. But with his heavy focus on what lies ahead, she isn’t sure she’ll be able to in time.

As the day approaches, there’s only one question left to consider: Liberation is coming, but are they ready to deliver?