OH MY GOSH! I sat riveted as I rapidly read this OUTSTANDING novel from an author that I never heard of before!! I liked princess Zera from the start and her compassion to those on the lower level who was living in poverty. Zera was known for sneaking down to the bottom without bodyguards and bringing treats for a young girl that she was very found of and hearing her friend play the violin. One day her father requested her to go one a secret mission to obtain energy cells or he would have to let her friends die because they were running out of energy. She was horrified that the king would do this, and she knew that he was serious! Plots against her failure, and twists and turns led Zera to shred her pampered life inside the city and faced the outside world that was said to have airborne poison. I can't wait to read the next book!! ( )