The Empire rules by blood. Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control. Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance. Clear is the blood of the servants, of the crushed, of the invisible. The Aktibar - a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire - is about to begin. Sylah was destined to win the trials: she wasn't made to sparkle, she was born to burn. And it's up to her whether she rules the empire or destroys it.