" At night, she hears the voices of vengeance arising from the underworld. The ghosts of murdered women scream out for justice, revisiting the realm of mortals in order to avenge those brutally killed by their own family members. She briefly sees the Furies tearing the bodies of the unjust apart limb by limb. The image of the Furies avenging the dead fills her with horror, rendering her nearly insensate. Artemisia hears the voices of the Furies shred the silence of the night. She is in her adolescence, but the voices call upon her to use her power justly once she becomes queen. Artemisia knows that her father, Lygdamis, is in poor health. She feels that she will imminently inherit his kingdom, but she feels ill-suited for the task of maintaining balance and harmony in Caria and all of Halicarnassus. The voices of the Furies taunt her, telling her that she must relinquish all her pampered youth in order to become the vehicle for justice. One night, Artemisia awoke and saw a shape in her room. The shape appeared as a woman. Then she saw the shape dissolve in the darkness of the night. When she falls asleep again, the voice speaks. "Artemisia, become justice. Become vengeance." Then she sees the Furies torturing people in the underworld. These people had committed various injustices. Artemisia tries to awake, but the voices mock her. "She is not ready yet, Alecto. She is a spoiled little girl." Then one of the other Furies speaks. It is Tisiphone. "You're right. The little girl is not yet ready to become queen." Then Megaera speaks. "What a waste of riches. This girl could have been so much more. Let her precious royalty slip away from a greater purpose. She is not fit for it after all. She is but a docile wretch wasting her youth. Poor little Artemisia." After a few moments, Artemisia feels the voices numbing her mind. The voices overwhelm her. "Stop it Stop " she screams out. The voices laugh. The laughter echoes loudly in her mind. "Leave me alone " Artemisia shouts. The voices continue to mock her, but then they are gone. Artemisia opens her eyes. She still feels the mocking presence of the Furies, whose voices partly linger in her mind. Then Alecto's voice returns. "Your father will die and you will be queen. But you will become queen only so that you can kill Xerxes. That is your destiny Kill the one who has slaughtered vast multitudes Avenge those he killed Artemisia, become vengeance. Become justice " Then the voice is gone. She knows that she will become queen, but she wonders whether she must listen to the Furies. Artemisia peers into the darkness. She feels that a dark future awaits her. Artemisia's eyes glow darkly in the night, reflecting horizon after horizon of war's black longing. A flicker of bloodlust flowed through her, feeling the voices of the Furies spurring her on towards a red dimness unforeseen." This collection of Queen Gorgo and Queen Artemisia stories delves into a world embroiled in war and relentless instability, and two warrior-queens who learn to survive in it.