The Heart Trials

In Ethyria the highborn may love; the lowborn may only feel what the Benevolent allows. Saltblood lowborn Axira Merreri survives the decaying districts by keeping her heart locked tight, couriering goods by day - and smuggling the ruler’s euphoric Heartfillers to the highborn by night. Until a drop goes wrong and her execution looms. When she strikes a dangerous bargain to steal something from the Tournament of Hearts, a ruthless dating competition to gain highborn citizenship, she enters. Not for love. For freedom. But as the twisted allure of the competition turns deadly, an unexpected connection cracks her defenses, forcing her to confront a truth she fears: In a regime built on engineered happiness, the most dangerous weapon she has is her heart.