The year is 1893, and war is brewing in the First American Kingdom. The World’s Fair is set to open in Chicago, yet Claire Emerson has a bigger problem than wars or fairs. As her father prepares to reveal the mighty weapon he’s created for their province of St. Cloud, Claire is crafting a plan to escape his wrath. He controls her every move and demands that she grant him her power—a magical gift he believes is derived simply from Claire’s touch. With the stakes so high, Claire knows now might be her only chance at leaving, to claim any life of her own, even as her best friend Beatrix tries to convince her she should stay and help with the growing resistance movement. When her father’s weapon fails to fire on the fair’s opening day, Claire is suddenly taken captive by Governor Remy Duchamp, St. Cloud’s young and intelligent but awkward ruler. Remy believes that Claire’s touch bestows graces he’s never had, and with his governing power weakening and many political rivals planning his demise, Claire might be his only and best ally. But the last thing that Claire has ever wanted is to be someone else’s muse. Claire has a choice to make: Will she quietly remake her world from the shadows—or bring it down in flames?