18-year-old Lillian is dying. But she is not going down without a fight. Sheltered by her father her whole life, Lillian's greatest wish has always been to join the rebel group he leads, to leave a mark on the world she is soon to leave. In the aftermath of a tragedy, Lillian decides to seek revenge by killing the King of Orios. Against the wishes of her lover, Eli, she joins the dangerous King's Guard Trials to get close to the King, where she soon learns death is the only alternative to success. While fighting her way through a deadly maze filled with dark magic, and scaling a treacherous mountain inhabited by mythical creatures, she discovers the greatest threat may really lie with her fellow participants, who won't hesitate to kill for a spot in the guard. Despite her determination to pursue the mission alone, Lillian finds close friendship with eternally cheerful Finn and Astrid, another rebel infiltrating the guard. She also fights a strange connection with her handsome, but