1855. Lucknow, India. As tensions simmer in the heat of repressive colonial India, romance does not seem a likely prospect between an Indian prince and an English girl. Yet after discovering a common delight in music, Salim, son of the last Nawab of Avadh, and Rachael Bristow, daughter of an English colonel, defy their own and their societies' preconceptions and prejudices to fall in love. As the two are drawn closer together, their privileged lives in northern India are about to be torn apart. Trouble begins when the British annex Avadh banish the rightful Nawab, inflaming Salim's hatred of the colonisers, complicating his love for Rachael. Determined to recover what is rightfully his, Salim fights back when a small Sepoy mutiny flares into bloody rebellion against British rule. As unrest spreads across the subcontinent, the fiercely contested ancient city of Lucknow proves one of the most dangerous places to be. Amid the chaos of a city and society consumed in hatred and devastation, Salim and Rachael are forced to choose between their loyalty to each other, their families, and the opposing sides that threaten to raze Lucknow to the ground. Will their love prove strong enough to rise above the violence and survive to a world beyond?