Lud-in-the-Mist

The novel is set in a small Free State whose capital lies near the Elfin Hills and the borders of Fairyland; its narrative centers on Master Nathaniel Chanticleer, head of an established family, and his struggle when an alarming disgrace befalls his son Ranulph, threatening the boy's life and reason. Against a vividly described townscape—rivers, gardens, guild halls—and a long-standing official denial of contact with the neighboring fairy country, the plot unfolds through social expectations, family pride, and the uneasy presence of otherworldly influence. The work balances atmospheric description, wry observation of civic manners, and a mounting personal crisis that forces characters to confront buried fears and mysteries.