1312, West Africa. As the daughter of the king's despised foreign wife, Tiyya has never been accepted as a true princess. When the king departs on an expedition to discover lands across the Atlantic ocean, Tiyya is left behind and must make her way to the court of the king's successor, Mansa Musa. There a mysterious noblewoman takes her in, promising to elevate her to the royal status she has always craved.

But all is not as it seems, and Tiyya soon stumbles onto a plot to assassinate Mansa Musa and his heirs. Together with a deaf slave girl and an apprentice griot with stage fright, she must find out who is behind the plot before she becomes its next victim. Along the way, Tiyya learns how to listen to her heart and value true friendship wherever it is found.

This engrossing story of magic, danger and mystery transports readers to an African civilization at its height. Perfect for fans of Adam Gidwitz's The Inquisitor's Tale and Kwame Mbalia's Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.