Orphaned as a young child, Miren O'Malley has been brought up by her grandparents on their isolated, rambling estate Hob's Hallow. Long ago her family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer, the terrifying creatures who live in the depths of the sea: safety for their merchant ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and their fortunes have suffered as a result. When Miren's grandfather dies, her grandmother puts in train plans to restore their glory-- but at the price of Miren's freedom. Finding amongst her grandfather's papers evidence that her parents may still be alive, Miren is determined to escape and discover the truth about her origins. This takes her on a treacherous journey to Blackwater, the estate her parents built when they fled Hob's Hallow, but on arrival Miren finds the estate in decline and her 'Uncle Edward' in charge: where are her parents, and who is this Edward Elliott really? A story of mystery and magic and the strange creatures that lurk beneath the waves.
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