But there's something strangely captivating about Val's new friends. The impulsive Lolly talks about monsters in the subway tunnels they inhabit, and fires a shimmering amber powder that makes the shadows around her dance. The stern Louis claims he can make deals with creatures that no one else can see. Then there's Louis's brother, the shy and sensitive Dave, who makes the mistake of letting Val tag along while he makes a delivery to a woman who turns out to have goat hooves instead of feet.

When a confused Val allows the Guardian to convince her to track down the hidden hideout of the creature Louis and Dave have been dealing with, Val finds herself bound to serve a monster named Ravus. He is as hideous as he is honorable. As Val gets to know him more, she finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends will become.

Bestselling author Holly Black follows up her smash-hit debut novel, "The Ten," with a rich, moving, and compelling parable about betrayal, abuse, friendship, and love.