In the Shadow of the Palace (A Tide of Shadows Book 1)

The one thing Cara knows about herself is that she doesn’t want to grow up to be a prostitute. But as the daughter of a prostitute, growing up in a brothel in one of the seediest districts of Port Lorsin, she has resigned herself to her fate. As soon as her monthly blood comes, she will follow in the footsteps of her mother.

But a client of her mother’s takes pity on Cara. Leveraging his status, he takes Cara somewhere she never thought she’d see up close: the palace of the House of Dorsa. When a crisis strikes, Cara finds herself thrust into the very center of palace politics. What comes next will change Cara — and the course of kingdom history — forever.
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Palace-Tide-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B0CJQHNCFV/
This book is the first in A Tide of Shadows, the prequel series to the Chronicles of Dorsa. You do NOT need to have read the Chronicles of Dorsa series first to enjoy In the Shadow of the Palace.