Rhea is just fifteen, a miller's daughter, and no more than pleasing in appearance, so it's very, very strange when a lord shows up and wants to marry her. Neither she nor her parents think this is normal or good, but they're not in a position to say no to a lord who is, moreover, a friend of their own lord.

It's even more disturbing when he insists Rhea come for an overnight visit at his home before the wedding.

All of this is nothing to how disturbed Rhea is when she arrives and finds that Lord Crevan has six previous wives, only one of whom is respectably dead.

Rhea soon learns that Crevan takes something from each of his wives when they marry. He has no plans to let her return home before the wedding. And he has tasks for her to do each night. If she fails to complete a task, he will immediately marry her.

What does he plan to take from her?

Maria and Sylvie may be potential allies. Ingvie is doing Crevan's work. Lady Elegans is dead. The other two? They are now the Golem Wife and the Clock Wife.

Her only other ally, her only certain ally, is the hedgehog she met on the way to Lord Crevan's manor.

Rhea is a smart, capable young woman, inexperienced in the world outside her village, but not ready to give up. She's completely believable for the circumstances she comes from. Both character development and world-building are excellent as one would expect from Kingfisher. This is a fairy tale plot used extremely well.

Recommended.

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