Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, shes had no choice. Her tattered copy of AngharadEmrys Myrddins epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys himis the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddins family announces a contest to redesign the late authors estate, Effy feels certain its her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddins legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against themand the truth may bring them both to ruin.