Updated: Aug 20, 2021
Synopsis
Mortville and Liverson are two cities and two opposite realities. Ida left her hometown—Mortville—when she was sixteen, right after school. She left for Liverson that is thousands of miles away from her home. Like many others, Ida believes that in Liverson her dreams will come true; but soon she finds out that even in Liverson—the best city ever—it turns out to be impossible to achieve her goals — money, and success — quickly. Without success, Ida feels ashamed to return to her hometown. She is working hard every day and does not always have time to worry about her family in Mortville. When she finds out that her mother is dying, she can't make it in time to say goodbye to her. Her father's strange conspiracy regarding her mother's illness and near-death causes Ida suspicion. She can't forgive him for hiding from her such an important family matter, and when her father dies, she refuses to attend his funeral.
Aztra sends Ida a strange letter in which she urges her to come. When Ida is back to Mortville, she is met with ruins and misery at every corner. What happened to her hometown during her absence? Where and why have all Mortvillians disappeared? Her hometown is full of legends about local witches, but Ida never believed in them.
Aztra narrates to Ida about the witches who inhabited Mortville for centuries, and about those newcomers who came to Mortville to get rid of them. Who started the war between the witches and leprechauns? Why and where did the leprechauns come from? Some family secrets are revealed to Ida during her visitation with her siblings. Aztra insists on the fact that their mother was a witch, but Ida — always inclined to a scientific explanation of life — refuses to believe anything beyond her own experience.
The sisters constantly quarrel, and Drain — the brother — tries to pacify them. When Ida discovers the horrifying reason why Aztra invited her to their parents' house, feeble-minded Drain takes Ida's side and helps her to escape from her childhood bedroom, in which Aztra has imprisoned her. Will Ida have enough guts to perform an old ceremony that will free her from compunction? Together with her friend — Greysha Dellaros, the chair of the Liverson' Central Library —Ida will try to accomplish her mission.