Hearts of Stone: Star-Crossed

Gaiath used to be a world of abundant magic and pristine beauty, a place where winged goyles and men lived in harmonious cooperation and where nature’s offerings were bountiful. Over the years, the elite of society reaped and plundered, transforming areas of the planet into dark, desolate lands, depleted of life. Meanwhile, they unjustifiably prospered at the expense of everyone and everything else.

Today, massive megacities remain as the only home to humans, operating much like their own isolated countries. A thick, enigmatic, and unnerving fog called the Mist blankets the planet, yet it mysteriously cannot penetrate the overpopulated, polluted cities.

In Noxhaven, a vast, vertical metropolis, where the privileged reside comfortably in Uppercity, while the destitute are segregated in the ground level of Lowercity, groups of curious plant-human hybrids have begun to proliferate. The mandracals, as they’re so called, have become a new race altogether, and they’re as feared to the masses as the great Mist. Yet, to the ostracized goyles, these beings are revered for their potential and purpose.

Sakura awoke abandoned in the seedy, darkened, neon-lit streets of Lowercity without any memory of who she was or where she came from. Reborn as a mandracal, her dark hair transformed into a light pink, and her scalp sprouted vines. As lost as she was, she found others like her who offered their support. When she learns of her origins, she tenaciously finds a way to return to Uppercity, in the hopes of being reunited with her family, whom she believes will welcome her back. Instead, she finds herself in the clutches of the unforgiving authorities and quickly, thereafter, embarks on a wild, spontaneous ride.

When Sakura meets Sylvan, a silvery goyle who insists on protecting her, she is made aware of a great many truths, including what exactly she now is. In addition to discovering more about herself, she finds a noble purpose. Determined to join Sylvan’s cause and make a difference, she soon realizes she’s not just being swept off her feet by his gallant dedication, but also by his personality and charm...