First published 2012
Jane Eliot covers her scarred cheek with an iron mask, the only protection against the fey curse that marks her as a victim of the Great War. When she answers a governess position for a "delicate situation," she knows the child must share her affliction. Young Dorie proves as challenging as Jane expected, her fey curse manifesting in dangerous bursts that require constant vigilance to control. Jane finds herself drawn to Dorie's father, Edward Rochart, a mysterious artist whose studio receives a steady stream of plain women who emerge transformed into stunning beauties. Jane believes her scars make her unlovable and that iron will bind her forever. Yet as she helps Dorie master her abilities and uncovers the truth behind Rochart's work, she begins to question everything she accepted about her condition. Jane must decide how much she will risk to break free from the curse that has defined her life since the war ended.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, fantasy, supernatural
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Period: 19th-Century
304 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor Books
Content warnings: body-horror, war