In this enchanting fairytale, which Kirkus Reviews calls "intriguing and lyrical," a pair of estranged siblings, a tsarina, and a woodsman must band together to outwit a crooked duke who wants them all—and isn't particular as to "dead" or "alive." Here be dragons and sirens, magical gifts and dread debts, deeds noble and foolhardy. With a touch of Narnia and a dash of Baba Yaga, it's a tale that reads like balm for the weary in soul.

Though part of a series, this story listens as a complete tale, with no cliffhangers.