Mayland Long, aka the Black Dragon, has been enjoying a peaceful relationship with Martha Macnamara--but suddenly they face threats from seemingly every side. A wild psychic force is loose in the world; Martha's three-year-old granddaughter has been kidnapped; and one of her Celtic musician friends has been found dead, hanging by a rope of twisted grass. Now the Black Dragon must use his wits to rescue the little girl and hunt for a killer . . . even if it brings him to a horrifying realization.

In this novel, the author of The Book of Kells returns to the modern-day California of Tea with the Black Dragon, blending fantasy, mystery, Chinese lore, and a timeless love story as she so masterfully did in her debut, which earned nominations for Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and Philip K. Dick Awards. "MacAvoy supports her tale with a superbly drawn cast of characters . . . and her usual superior command of language" (Booklist).