In ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses the Great, sixteen-year-old Sati wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps and join the royal military. But everyone knows women can't be soldiers. When mysterious forces threaten her family, Sati makes an impossible choice and runs away from home. As she sails to the glittering new capital of Per-Ramesses, her ship is attacked by marauders seeking another passenger: Ahmose, a restless and enigmatic nobleman who offers Sati a rare opportunity to petition the pharaoh for protection and to enlist in his army. Guided by the goddess Sekhmet, Sati endures days of ruthless training and relentless bullies and uncovers a nefarious plot reaching to the highest levels of governance, all the while keeping a dangerous secret of her own . . . one that could threaten her life and destroy everyone and everything she holds dear, including Egypt itself.