On the continent of Alaria, in a palace deep within Mount Chestnut, lived a queen like no other. The Heart Queen had a great power-the ability to compel those around her to feel what she felt. But when the Heart Queen discovered she'd been betrayed by her own people, she unleashed a storm of emotion like no other, plunging the hares and their land into an age of darkness and despair-until, slowly but surely, the darkness lifted, peace returned, and her story became that of legend.Centuries later, near the hare town of Barrowton, in the Leporidae Valley, rumours of danger beyond the borders of the valley begin to stir. Hares begin to disappear one by one without a trace. Lyselle, a young bright-pink hare like no other, is visited in a dream by the Cerulean Star-the owl god and one of the Seven Stars that created Alaria. He implores her to find a legendary sword, and issues a warning: "Beware her wrath . . ."