Dashti, a mucker from steppes of the Eight Realms, begins a diary as she looks for a job after her mother dies of illness.

Eventually, she finds and accepts a position as the new maid of Lady Saren, the youngest child of the lord of Titor's Garden.

Saren has defied her father's declaration that she will marry Lord Khasar of Thoughts of Under and revealed that she is engaged to the young Khan Tegus of Song for Evela.

However, Lord Khasar also arrives at the tower and begins harassing them, performing cruel acts to torture and upset them.

As their food storages dwindle, Dashti finds a weakened portion of the tower where the rats have entered and breaks through the wall to freedom.

Together, they travel to Song for Evela, which has remained untouched by Khasar so far, and Dashti finds them jobs as scrubbers in the kitchens of Khan Tegus.

Though Dashti continues to sing healing songs to calm and soothe her, Saren's condition does not improve, and she refuses to reveal her identity to Khan Tegus.

Loyalty and Trust Dashti is loyal to Saren, yet she confides and puts all of her true thoughts into her journal, the book that the reader holds.

When she risks herself against Lord Khasar at the end, she plays with time in revealing his true character as a wolf.

Kirkus review said, "Dashti’s voice is bright and true; Hale captures her sturdy personality, Saren’s mental fragility and Khan Tegus’s romantic warrior as vibrantly as she limns the stark terror of the Mongolian cold and the ugly spirit from which Khasar draws his strength.

"[1] Publishers Weekly in giving it a star review wrote "Hale (River Secrets ) delivers another winning fantasy, this time inventively fleshing out the obscure Grimm tale, Maid Maleen..." and "Readers will be riveted as Dashti and Saren escape and flee to the Khan's realm where, through a series of deceptions, contrivances and a riotously triumphant climax, the tale spins out to a thoroughly satisfying ending.