October Daye is a changeling by birth which means that she is half human and half fae. Seanan McGuire invests the first half of this first book in the description of the group of creatures known as the changelings. The Faerie world used to exist with the world of the humans once and when the problems between the two groups rose to an uncontrollable height the Faerie world disappeared.
Some of the humans think that the world got destroyed but it was not the case. The world of these magical creatures is still there but the humans cannot reach it. With their powers, the Faerie creatures have made themselves invisible to all humans. But the changelings who are born by the mating of the creatures from both worlds know about the existence of both of these worlds.
October Daye or Toby is one of those unlucky creatures who is neither human nor a complete Fae and this situation has made her sick. She has left the Fae world completely now and lives among the humans like an ordinary human being. Countess Evening’s murder however forces Toby to come out of the hidings because the countess has cursed Toby and if she does not solve the case of murder then she is doomed to eternity.
Mary Robinette Kowal has given an exhausted voice to Toby because she is not in the mood of performing some action. Across the Green Grass Fields and A Killing Frost had action and this one has a battle for life which Toby must win at any cost. She gathers all her friends which she used to have when she served as the knight.
