by Paula Volsky
First published 1992
Eliste vo Derrivalle grows up surrounded by privilege in provincial Vonahr, where magical Exalted families have dominated society for two centuries. The aristocrats spend their days pursuing pleasure while their supernatural powers weaken from neglect. They pay no attention to the suffering masses until revolution erupts across the kingdom. Eliste finds herself cast from her comfortable manor into the chaos of the capital city, where she must beg for food and shelter among common people she never understood. Her own magical abilities remain frustratingly beyond reach just when she needs them most. The revolutionary fervor transforms Vonahr into a dangerous landscape where former nobles face execution and social order collapses. Eliste struggles to navigate this transformed world where her noble birth marks her as an enemy rather than granting her protection. She must learn to survive without servants, without wealth, and without the magical powers that might save her. The revolution promises liberty but delivers violence and uncertainty that threatens everyone caught in its path.
Genres: historical-fiction, fantasy, social-issues
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-change
Setting: Vonahr, Exalted, Capital City
Period: 2 Centuries
577 pages · Paperback · Spectra
Content warnings: violence