From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built--and toppled--empires.

November is as good as dead. She just doesn't know it yet.

At the Academy Absconditi, there's no electricity, no internet, and an archaic eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes range from knife throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the students? Silver-spoon descendants of the world's most elite strategists--all training to become asassins, spies, and master imporsonators.

One is a virtuoso of accents--and never to be trusted. Another is a vicious fighter determined to exploit November's weaknesses. And then there's the boy with the mesmerizing eyes and a secret agenda. November doesn't know how an ordinary girl like her fits into the school's complicated legacy. But when a student is murdered, she'll need to separate her enemies from her allies before the crime gets pinned or her...or she becomes the killer's next victim. "Full of danger and intrigue, this series opener establishes a fascinating premise with an international cast of tenuous allies and ambiguous adversaries that will keep our heroine, and her readers, on a knife’s edge." --The Bulletin

"Anything is possible in this world of cloaks and daggers. A strong beginning that will leave readers hungry for more." --Kirkus Reviews