The future architect Effie Sayer has always believed in fairy tales - since childhood she has been haunted by visions of the Faerie King. She always has a battered volume of Anghared, Emrys Murddin\'s epic about a mortal girl falling in love with the Fae King and then destroying him, on her desk. So when the writer\'s family announces a competition to redevelop his estate, Effie realizes that this is her chance. However, the Hirais estate is old and musty, and its inhabitants are suspicious and unfriendly. Preston Hilory, a young literary critic determined to prove that Murdine is a fraud, also causes trouble. As the rivals piece by piece gather information about the mysterious writer\'s legacy, dark forces conspire against them. They will have to work together to discover Murdine\'s secret and escape.