Facing a political marriage with a much older man, fifteen-year-old aristocrat Julia Schreiber convinces her father Victor—a commanding knight and beloved hero—to first take her on a journey to Leënde, a magical land whose people are dying from a mysterious illness. There she meets Tristan, a beautiful but aloof archer who seems to be keeping some secrets of his own. All too soon, however, dark machinations threaten to upend this idyllic adventure and throw Julia into a fight beyond her wildest dreams… (Source: Kodansha USA)

Journeying through the 18 islands and gathering the scattered tales is my job as a storyteller. During every Winter solstice we gather around the island master's keep, sharing our tales until dawn, this is known as Koyasai, the yearly festival for story tellers! Let me share a dark, hidden tale with you, a story about the dreadful monster... This year, near the abandoned island master's keep, the Koyasai that only belongs to the two of us is about to begin! (Source: back cover of the novel)