From bestselling author Maddie Martinez comes a delicious dark sapphic retelling of The Phantom of the Opera drenched in Slavic folklore – perfect for fans of Ava Reid, Catherynne M. Valente, and S. T. Gibson.

The city of Larzeg glitters around its famous Nectar Performance House, where violinist Kasia has worked her fingers to the bone to chase one dream: becoming Perla, the theatre’s prestigious concertmaster. When the current Perla mysteriously dies during a performance, Kasia won’t be distracted by whispers of a phantom in the theater’s wings. All she sees is her chance to replace the fallen star – until the orchestra director refuses her an audition because of her Azjarian heritage.

Devastated, Kasia strikes a bargain with Death herself – the phantom of the theater. Behind her dark veil, Lady Death will help Kasia in her quest to become Perla, if Kasia becomes her companion. In exchange, Kasia receives Death’s mark and a gift: her music becomes entrancing, capable of bending any audience to her will.

But her rise into Larzeg’s circles of power comes at a cost. Influential men seek to control her, Lady Death’s demands grow darker, and Kasia finds herself falling further into the thrall of a master who promises her everything . . . as long as Death can call Kasia hers.

Praise for Maddie Martinez:

‘Dark, atmospheric and riveting’
– Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

‘Gorgeous dark fantasy rendered in detail sharp as a tailor's needle’
– S. T. Gibson, author of A Dowry of Blood

‘Endlessly enchanting . . . I adored every page’
– Ava Reid, author of The Wolf and the Woodsman