Orphaned as a baby because of her mother, Queen Katherine Parr’s, imprudent marriage, Mary Seymour believes that romantic love clouds even the strongest woman’s ability to reason. So she vows never to fall in love, and under no circumstances will she marry. Lady Strange, her mysterious new guardian, offers Mary an extraordinary alternative to marriage: Mary is to become a white magician who will join Queen Elizabeth’s court and ensure the success of the Virgin Queen’s reign.

Soon after Mary’s sixteenth birthday, she is invited to join Elizabeth’s court as a lady-in-waiting. Upon her arrival, Mary is met with a welcome worthy of her highly regarded mother. Nevertheless, the more favor Mary is shown by the queen, the more she inspires the jealousy and ill will of the men and women who are vying for power. The most dangerous of all is Edmund Seymour, Mary’s disturbingly handsome cousin. From the moment she meets Edmund, Mary has to fight her own growing attraction, especially once she discovers that he is a black magician, the dark mirror of her own self. But light cannot exist without darkness -- and despite the threat Edmund poses to Mary, he seems to be the only one who truly understands her. When Edmund becomes involved in a plot against the queen, Mary finds her beliefs tested in ways she never could have imagined.

Jacqueline Kolosov is a professor of creative writing. She has published a book of poems for adults, entitled Vago, as well as fiction for children, including Grace from China. She lives in Texas with her family.