Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.

Until one night the king’s men arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Viviani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life, or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father . . . and tear apart the very fabric of society.

• A Gripping Historical Adventure: Plunge into the intrigue of 17th-century England, where the daughter of the infamous poet John Milton must outwit the king’s men to save her father from the gallows.
• A Code-Breaking Mystery: The key to her father’s freedom lies hidden within the pages of Paradise Lost. But deciphering the cryptic clues means challenging the most powerful men in England.
• Forbidden Romance: She’s the daughter of a notorious traitor. He’s a mysterious Italian scientist on his own mission. Can Elizabeth trust her heart to the darkly handsome Antonio Viviani?
• A Sword-Wielding Heroine: Trained in secret in sword fighting and languages, Elizabeth is no ordinary poet’s daughter. She’ll need every skill she has to survive a conspiracy that reaches the throne itself.