Real heroes are made of blood and scars and wounds so deep you cannot see them. Viktor needs to bring back magic that can control the raging forest spirit that threatens to tear down his family’s estate. He learns of a bone carving that can bind spirits, he sets out to find it. When he finally finds the talisman – the Bone Doll – out on the eastern tundra, he learns that it can only be used by its bearer - a grumpy shaman named Syra who only begrudgingly agrees to help him. Traveling southward with the nobleman Viktor, Syra finds herself away from home for the first time, carrying a talisman that may or may not be cursed. And to make matters worse, she doesn’t know if her magic is strong enough to wield the Bone Doll and defeat the forest spirit. As they navigate wilderness and civilization, the mundane and the magical, Syra and Viktor’s feelings grow and change. But Viktor hasn’t been entirely honest about this quest: this is a journey from which Syra won’t return. Perfect for readers who loved The Witcher, Spinning Silver, The Wolf & the Woodsman, and The Bear & the Nightingale who want a little more romance .