The kinder poison

B>"A DELICIOUS HIGH-STAKES ADVENTURE." --PEOPLE MAGAZINEbr>br>Perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black, this enthralling fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown./b>br>br>Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she''s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.br>br>All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing. A death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish--and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey''s end--will ascend to the throne. With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing''s human sacrifice.br> br>Now Zahru''s only hope for survival hinges on the impossible: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world.