A once-famous ballet dancer faces a devastating choice – to return to the cutthroat world of Russian ballet that nearly broke her, or to walk away forever – in this incandescent novel of love and redemption

Prima ballerina Natalia Leonova was once celebrated across the world, her signature bravura in demand on stages from St Petersburg to Paris and New York. But at the top of her career, a terrible, mysterious accident forces her to retire.

Injured and alone, Natalia is haunted by her relationships with two gifted dancers, Dmitri and Alexander, who were responsible for her soaring highs, her darkest hours and, ultimately, her downfall. But when Dmitri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia, she must decide whether she can face her past for a chance to dance again – and to return to the great love of her life.

Painting a vivid portrait of a world in which ruthless ambition, desire and sublime artistry collide, City of Night Birds unveils the making of a dancer with both profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.