Xiomeri Kadzul died ruling the tiny nation of Parecibo, and was buried in atma to resurrect as ghost advisor to Queen Xiana, her adopted child. But when a moonfall crushed Parecibo, Xiana – and everyone else – joined Xiomeri as ghosts, revived by atma deposits in the shattered soil.

It's taken five years for the nation to heal, as rivals eye its unearthed riches. Xiomeri has entered exile as a pretense to fend off external threats to Parecibo. A lifetime of politics and a winning smile let her play the role of harmless widow to perfection – but she is an ice-cold schemer who preys on fools. A queen has all eyes on her, but a former queen? Xio wields power more freely than ever.