Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret after her mother, a monarch as vain as she was foolish, was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent; however, he is merely the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of the neighboring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard, each pledged to defend the queen to the death, arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding. And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, win the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy, and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance.