Aeloy Netheraven was born and raised in the Kingdom’s most dangerous prison. Three nights a week she bleeds and breaks in the Pits, an illegal fight club run by the warden.

One day, two strangers offer her a choice and a chance. In exchange for her freedom, all she has to do is guard a prince. But in a cursed land where a tyrant Queen rules from a stolen throne, guarding a prince isn’t as easy as Aeloy thought it would be. Someone keeps gifting her body parts, a kitchen maid goes missing and the Queen forces Aeloy to compete in a series of trials to prove her worth.

As Aeloy searches for the missing kitchen maid, and the culprit behind the grotesque gifts, she uncovers truths which shake the very foundation of her life and everyone around her. She finally found freedom, but at what cost?

Elle is from Johannesburg, South Africa. Most of her childhood was spent running around outside like a feral creature. When she wasn’t chasing fairies, or climbing trees, she would write little stories. After studying fashion design and marketing, she moved to London with her husband where they now live with their two cats and lots of plants.

Customer Reviews

5.0

12 reviews

C.A. Farran

This book has my whole heart. I read it in its early drafts. I read its final version. I reread every version in between when Elle sent me changes she'd made. This book is about survival. About finding the pulse of hope when all seems lost. About searching for meaning in a world that's easy to get lost in. I love this book. I love this author. Both will live in my heart forever. Congratulations, my writing sister of blood and gore. Your beautiful book is out in the world
Heather

How can you miss someone if you don’t remember them? Because you miss them in the parts they should have filled. You miss them in the memories you should have had.
Rosamund

An amazing read. Brutal and moving in equal measures. It is very well written, with description so vivid that you could imagine yourself there and characters that come alive from the page. A great storyline completes the masterpiece. It is just a shame that the ending raises more questions than answers.
Ajia Saunders

This book was crazy! At first, I wasn’t too fond of the main character. I thought she was selfish and hard to put up with. But as the story went on, she got better and I understood her a lot more. A big chunk of the book was setting up at the beginning and it seemed rather mellow. But the real meat of the plot didn’t seem to come till like the middle of the book. However, when that happens, it gets really good! There are so many questions, so many details to keep in mind, and so many different characters. You know who to love and are skeptical of everyone else. The characters chemistry is so good. Later up the line of the book, it dies get gruesome and dark with even more questions and mystery. But the most anger provoking thing is that it ended on a cliff hanger!!! So many questions that there better be a second book! I was just starting to like the main character!
Friel Black

I have read this beautiful book five times and will read it 1000 times more. I love you, Elle. Forever.
Heather

How can you miss someone if you don’t remember them? Because you miss them in the parts they should have filled. You miss them in the memories you should have had.
Rio L. Barney

“Fantastic book!” I loved this book. I was hooked from page 1. I loved the characters, the world building, and the plot. Caldwell weaves a fantastic story from start to finish. I highly recommend this book.
Heatvb

How can you miss someone if you don’t remember them? Because you miss them in the parts they should have filled. You miss them in the memories you should have had.