Prisoner Yelena Zaltana is about to be executed when she is offered a way out. She can either be executed- and know when she is going to die- or she can become the Commander of Ixia's new food taster. Yelena chooses the second option and soon finds herself in training with the chief of security to become the food taster. What the chief of security fails to tell her is that the training could kill her- something that she learns when she is forced to taste a poison to see if she'll survive. But this is only the beginning. Soon to follow are betrayal, lies and...romance.

This book is filled with excitement, action and suspense. It is an excellent effort for a first novel.

Yelena finally got out. Out of Ixia. And out of her job as food taster. Although, now she's not so sure she wants to leave. She leaves Valek behind as she ventures out into Sitia. There she discovers the family that she was stolen from. But Yelena doesn't feel like it's home. Her brother, for reasons she doesn't know, hates her. Others think she's a spy. But only to make matters worse, Yelena discovers the heir to the Ixian throne-who everyone thought was dead- and discovers a chain of murders. Typically, Yelena is drawn in and finds herself caught in a chase for the murderer.
The story hurls the reader through the pages at a fast pace. The world building was excellent. Readers will wish for a third book. Something they won't have to wait too long for because the third book (Fire Study) is being published in March.