Just when he's begun to take responsibility for his actions in life, direct confrontation with the Erlking, his vicious allies, and Hans's own past may send him spiralling back into denial - leaving Reineke, the young fox-girl in his care, in danger. Hans thought he and Reineke would be safe in the castle where resistance to the evil Erlking is rallying its forces. Instead he found a doddering old king clinging to broken ideals, tension amongst the would-be allies, and a ghost from his past with its talons around his throat. So when he and Reineke have a chance to leave the castle in pursuit of a wayward princess, they take it. Running from his fears takes him from an imprisoned potential ally to the heart of his enemy's fortress, but his time is running out, and a collision with the monsters within and without are inevitable. Can he muster his post-mortem morality to make a stand for what's right, or will he return to complicit cowardice? Sierra Barnes weaves a rich anti-fascist fairy-tale about the importance of recognizing past wrongs, even (especially) when it s easier not to.
