Always be alert. Be ready. In a fractured world overrun by giant water-ants and deadly trees, where vicious tree cats prowl the night for prey and people kill for technology, it’s hard enough to live, let alone love. Sala is torn between protecting her friends, or risking everything to save another. But when a stranger seeks them out, and a justifiable temptation calls to her, the stakes rise higher than Sala could possibly imagine. What she craves can only lead to her downfall, along with everyone and everything around her. No amount of sacrifice will stop the poison of lies and betrayals now set to bring the explosive world of Palude to its limits. Trust is overrated. Courage is only the beginning. The greatest enemy always hides within.
