“A winning addition to boundary-defying heroines like Alanna of Trebond and Sir Callie.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “An exciting, twisty story packed with everything you want from a fantasy adventure.” —Anne Ursu, author of Not Quite a Ghost  In New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp's immersive middle grade fantasy, two young misfits embark on a dangerous quest to save their kingdom—and each other. For fans of B. B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers, Soman Chainani’s School for Good and Evil, and Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books. On the eve of her twelfth birthday, all Princess Adelisa—Ash to her friends—wants to do is run away. The palace doesn’t feel like home. Her mother is holding the war-torn kingdom together by a thread. Her brother bullies her. And the masked ball to celebrate her birthday turns into a nightmare when the nobles openly mock her. Then Ash meets Splinter. Fierce, brave, and adventurous, Splinter dreams of becoming a knight like her older