But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude.

Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained to work for the royalty. But after she is bought at the Auction, she quickly learns the brutal and violent truths that lie beneath the Jewel's glittering facade.

Violet must try to stay alive, and when an unlikely friendship offers her an opportunity, she clings to the hope of a better life—until a forbidden romance changes everything. Suddenly, Violet finds herself in a different kind of danger, one that may cost her more than she bargained for.