Literary, fast-paced, and endlessly romantic, the first in the series now available in paperback.

"Cleverly written, intriguing, and heart-wrenching." - New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadows

"An unusual focus on food only improves this intriguing coming-of-age story." - Kirkus Reviews

Princess Vela's people are starving.

Stranded on a planet that lacks food, Vela makes the ultimate sacrifice and becomes an Aegis for her people. Accepting a genetic modification that takes sixty years off her life, she can feed her colony via nutrition pills. But her best friend is still getting worse. And she's not the only one.

Now the king is dying, too.

When the boy she's had a crush on since childhood volunteers to give his life for her father's, Vela realizes her people need more than pills to survive. As tensions rise between Aegis and colonists, secrets and sabotage begin to threaten the future of the colony itself.

Unless Vela is brave enough to save them all...