On a diminutive colony world called Carmine, women known as Songstresses inherit the collective memories of their ancestors and use that wisdom to aid a people oppressed by the draconian rules of the ruling interplanetary federation.
Now reborn as a Songstress, sixteen‑year‑old Bellin Ajelli embarks on a sacred pilgrimage across the planet. Word of a possible terrorist plot leads Prince Truhallon of the militant Donau Empire to escort her, yet his very presence contradicts everything Bellin believes. The two are polar opposites, yet they must travel together until they arrive at the capital.
