wolves and bears and creatures meant only for child's tales. Leshy the sprite, green-limbed and acid-tongued. Old Koschei, butcher of hearts. And the witch, Baba Yaga, ruling the border to the thrice-tenth kingdom where souls wander, caught between life and death. Only Ivan seems to understand. Orphaned, riding the rails in search of revenge, he shows up on Vasilisa's doorstep with nothing to offer but a burgeoning love he is desperate to deny. What can he give her but a heart broken by treachery, blackened by hate? Together, they are destined to cross the threshold between the worlds, retracing the steps of their forebears, back to Old Rus where the secret to Babka's cure, and Ivan's revenge, lies hidden in the mists of the thrice-tenth kingdom. Baba Yaga and her sisters hold the key, but it will take more than courage, luck, and a head for riddles if Vasilisa and Ivan are to survive the trials set for them, let alone secure their hearts' desires. Only love can show the way, but that may prove to be the greatest test of all.