The beloved fantasy classic from USA Today bestselling author Mindy Klasky, now in a 20th Anniversary Edition, including an all-new Author's Note!Fight for the future, no matter the cost...Eighteen-year-old Rani Trader is trapped. Her city has been ravaged by fire and plague. Her king has rejected her help as he negotiates for power and funds from the shadowy Fellowship of Jair. And now that same king is forcing Rani to broker his marriage to the wealthy princess of Liantine.Strange powers control that distant land. The prosperous spiderguild-and its seductive apprentice Mareka-hold a monopoly on the valuable silk trade. An upstart religion threatens the Thousand Gods. And a mysterious troupe of traveling players gathers secrets from low- and high-born alike. Those same players harbor glassmaking secrets that Rani craves. How can Rani balance her loyalty to her king, the pull of her heart, and her desperate desire to rebuild her lost glasswrights' guild?