A cynical shapeshifter. A hopeful princess. A love they never saw coming.

Silas Bennett grew up in a kingdom where magic-users are persecuted, especially those with the rare ability to transform into animals. After discovering he could shapeshift into a serpent, Silas was nearly killed—only to escape to a neighboring kingdom where he could study and use his magic freely. Now, he is determined to become a professor at the university he calls home, even though he is only nineteen. But first he must distinguish himself in his research field by proving that legendary magic stealers exist.

Princess Eliza, a hopeless romantic inspired by sonnets and their promises of true love, refuses to believe her beloved Henry perished at sea. She will do whatever it takes to find him and bring him home—even if it means traveling to another country and asking for help from a shapeshifting outcast.

With Eliza’s relentless optimism pitted against Silas’s unyielding cynicism, the two enemies can’t seem to have a civil conversation. But when they are unexpectedly bound by a pair of magical bracelets, which can only be unlocked by a kiss of true love, they quickly discover that they’ll have to work together as they navigate different languages, their past prejudices and fears, and a blossoming relationship. When their search for the truth about magic stealers threatens both Silas’s magic and Eliza’s safety, the two must learn to be vulnerable and trust each other’s hearts.