"Bittersweet, yet hopeful, with an understated romance, this is a fitting finale for a distinctive series." — Booklist
Petra Kronos's father has been transformed into one of Prince Rodolfo's monstrous Gray Men, and Petra is determined to save him. She and her friends Tomik and Neel swiftly formulate a plan. But when a long-held secret is revealed, Neel finds himself bound to his country. Petra, Astrophil, and Tomik must embark on their quest without him.
The friends are quickly swept up in an epic battle for power. Worse still, Prince Rudolfo is close to becoming emperor, ruling half of Europe. As she struggles to be free of Prince Rudolfo's evil plots, Petra learns just how strong the bonds of friendship can be—and just how much she is willing to sacrifice—in this riveting final volume of the Kronos Chronicles.
"A slambang finale to a refreshingly different fantasy trilogy. . . . Thrilling, heartrending, and unexpectedly sweet, Petra's adventures could not have had a more satisfying conclusion." — Kirkus Reviews
Marie Rutkoski is the author of The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders and The Celestial Globe. The Cabinet of Wonders, her debut novel, was named an Indie Next Kids' List Great Read and a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among other honors. Rutkoski grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She attended the University of Iowa, where she took Writers' Workshop classes and studied with Pulitzer Prize-winner James Alan McPherson. After graduating, she lived in Moscow and Prague. Upon receiving her Ph.D. from Harvard University, she held dual appointments as a lecturer there in both English and American Literature and Language, and History and Literature. Rutkoski is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children's literature and creative writing. She lives in New York City.