As a witch in the walled city of
Chernograd
,
Kosara has plenty of practice treating lycanthrope bites, bargaining with kikimoras, and slaying bloodsucking upirs. There's only one monster she can't defeat:
her ex
, the
Zmey
, known as the
Tsar of Monsters
. She's defied him one too many times and now he's hunting her. Betrayed by someone close to her, Kosara's only choice is to trade her shadow-the source of her powers-for a quick escape.
Unfortunately, Kosara soon develops the deadly sickness that plagues shadowless witches-and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To find it, she's forced to team up with a suspiciously honorable detective. Even worse, all the clues point in a single direction: To get her shadow back,
Kosara will have to face the Foul Days' biggest threats without it. And she's only got twelve days.
But in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the biggest monster from her past?