A little village in the far corner of Timberton offers nothing but monotony. At least, according to Mara Gower. Even though Mara’s never known any different, she longs for more than the predictable neighbors and uninspiring future before her. Mara wishes for the contentment her sister, Enna, seems to have found in their confined world of Kel-green.

Aching for adventure, Mara ventures into the neighboring forest, where towering, vibrant trees beckon her with an irresistible charm. All the villagers’ haunted tales and superstitions about the forest melt away as Mara wanders through the forest—that is, until she gets lost.

But an unexpected stranger appears, offering to guide her home, and an unlikely friendship begins. Ilian, a wood elf, is unlike anyone in Kel-green, and he introduces Mara to a far bigger, more magical world that exists just steps beyond her own door. As seasons change and Mara’s relationship with Ilian deepens, Mara’s mind awakens to possibilities she never dared dream of before.

Just as Mara starts to believe in an impossible future, she discovers Ilian hasn’t been honest about who he is and what he means to the forest. Against clashing cultures and expectations, Mara must decide if she can ever belong to the world she’s fallen in love with—and the elf at its center.