Pru Merriweather's life has become a waking nightmare. Still reeling from the devastating attack on Stormlash manor, Pru has one choice: convince Hetty Jones, leader of the fearsome Ladies of Leora, to join her in the fight against zealot general, Maximus Hale, who threatens the existence of every woman in her beloved country—and the sanity of her lover, Puck Reed.

Meanwhile, as Puck agonizes over the capture of his daughter Beatrice, he must also confront his transformation into a Zeraph, a monstrous avenging angel whose will is directly tied to Hale's greater mission of conquering Leora. Tortured by nightly visions of his daughter, Puck battles the urge to rescue her on his own, knowing Hale will seize the opportunity to twist him into a loyal soldier.

Together, Pru and Puck enlist the Ladies in a rescue plan aimed not just at getting Beatrice back, but freeing the entire country from Hale's ever-increasing influence. But after Hetty sends Pru on a scouting mission, Puck loses the one tether keeping him from answering Hale's persistent call. And when Pru discovers a growing Zeraphel army determined to burn all women who voice dissent, Hetty reacts in a way Pru doesn't expect: she plans to take the coven and abandon Leora in favor of a country that celebrates rather than condemns women's power.

With her lover gone, Pru must discover how to both defeat the seemingly all-powerful Zeraphel and rally the Ladies to save a country destined to destroy itself. And Puck, chosen by Hale to bring the city of Talonsbury to heel in exchange for his daughter's freedom, must hold to his own inner strength—and his love for Pru and Beatrice—or else become one of the general's monsters.

This book contains scenes depicting graphic violence and self-harm and references to sexual assault.