Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, you won't want to miss this epic finale to The Girl with the Hickory Heart. Weeks after the complete destruction of Black Sail City, Lye Li is haunted by the message that Luna and Ash have been captured by the emperor. With refugees swelling past the gates of the monastery and the impending threat of Shen returning, Lye cannot ignore that her duty is to the Char people as she is forced to decide whether to restore the Carvresses to the throne and leave Ash and Luna to be tortured in the palace, or rescue her brother and risk the Char being extinguished permanently. Beneath the rusted walls of the emperor's palace, Ash and Luna hold tightly to hope. Enduring torture and endless mind games, they cling to their love for each other to survive and the knowledge that they cannot leave the kidnapped Char children behind. All decisions, all journeys, will lead to the same place: The palace. To a fanciful emperor, controlled by a ruthless woman and a population beginning to doubt their ruler. Walls of stone separate families and friends. But if they can reach each other and join forces, they might just be able to change the world.