But Not Too Bold

Dália becomes keeper of the keys at Capricious House upon the death of her mentor and predecessor at the hands—and mandibles—of the mistress of the house, humanoid spider Anatema. Someone has stolen a keepsake from Anatema, and it is Dália’s job to find the thief and present them to Anatema for punishment—and consumption. In the process of her investigation, amid many long discussions with the mistress who has always fascinated her, Dália and Anatema find something they never imagined—the beauty and power of being seen for who and what one truly is. Capricious House is the most gothic of gothic houses, like something out of a Daphne du Maurier novel, owned by an actual monster instead of a merely human one. The mystery aspects allow readers to see what a peculiar place it is, but it’s the tense and fascinating relationship between Dália and Anatema that gives the story its fast-beating heart.