For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad
king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven
from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging
Gardens, secreted away from the world.
Since her treaty
marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an indulgent palace life. But
when her husband dies and a nobleman is found murdered in the palace,
Tia must discover who is responsible for the macabre death, even if her
own newfound freedom is threatened.
As the queen plans to wed
Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the
family’s secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help
of a reluctant Jewish captive, her late husband’s brother Pedaiah, who
challenges her notions of the gods even as he opens her heart to both
truth and love.
In a time when few gave their hearts
to Yahweh, one woman must decide if she is willing to risk
everything — her possessions, her gods, and her very life — for the
Israelite’s one God. Madness, sorcery and sinister plots mingle like an
alchemist’s deadly potion, and Tia must dare to risk all – to save the
kingdom, and to save herself.