"What is it you think I can do?" she whispered. "I'm no one." The dragon's thought came carefully, painfully. "No one? The maid who was given the gift of tongues? The girl who tamed a unicorn? Who saved then destroyed a world? Oh, Alice-Elayne, you are someone. And you are about to learn that your story is only half told." Elayne is struggling with her ordinary life in New York City. Until she hears that a monster has been caught in the city's sewers-a snake with a head at either end-and Elayne knows her ordinary life is over. The monster has come from Goloth, land of the fabulous beasts, and it's come to take her back.

She doesn't want to go-there are so many ways to die in that place. But when her father crosses over, she has no choice. Yet now Goloth is ripped apart by a civil war . and her actions helped start it. Worse: the unicorns, that world's guardians, have vanished, including her beloved Moonspill. Worst of all: Tiamat, queen of dragons, has woken from her five-hundred-year sleep. And she has plans for Elayne. Terrible plans.

Only one thing is certain: if Elayne is to have any hope of saving Goloth from total destruction, she must bring back the unicorns. Summoned by a dragon, attacked by a griffin, betrayed by pirates, forced to fight-Elayne will need every ounce of courage to rescue her father, keep her best friend alive, and unite a realm . all while trying not to fall in love with the former tyrant-king! An utterly captivating adventure set in a land where all our myths live.