Two hundred years ago, the Fire Queen destroyed her rival queens of Earth, Air, and Water in the fateful Burning and took power over Oran. No child with a trace of the elemental magic was alloved to live. Years later, the country still trembles under her oppression. But now there are rumors of hope. Four young women escaped--four who have the powers of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air--and are even now finding each other. At the same time, a ragtag army of artists and singers, orphans and vagrants, thieves and knifewielders is stealing into the city. Their sign is the bloodred, blade-thin New Moon . . .