A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In

The book takes place in the ancient empire of Greater Fallowfields, where everything is slowly falling apart. The imperial orchestra is run by a conductor who cannot play a note, the clocks are constantly altered to force the sun to set at five o’clock, and the Astronomer Royal must find a sixpence coin just to use the observatory telescope. While the region drifts aimlessly waiting for its young emperor—who is abroad and only communicates via penny post—a sinister, unfamiliar enemy quietly approaches.