Masquerade

The kingdom of Verlockend has a secret. Within its emerald green hills and spanning lakes lies a deadly curse. Behind its citizens' extravagant masks exists a condition beyond compare: hideous boils that cover every face. For as long as Fawn has known, this is the way life has been under the rule of King Malin; everyone within its walls is mandated to wear a mask at all times, so as not to reveal the cause of Verlockend's mysterious solitude to its enemies. The curse that covered the miles of fruitful land long ago is not only hard to look at, but deadly as citizens continue to age. The elderly members of the community are starting to disappear more and more often, sent far away from civilization due to the violent characteristics of the curse. Their heartbroken families never see them again.

Despite the horrors of this, Fawn lives a comfortable life as a baker's daughter. Having lived this sad tale all her life, she has grown used to spending her days hidden behind cloth. But even within the mundane kitchen life, a secret as big as her kingdom's always looms in the back of her mind: she is not cursed. She was born an anomaly, the one Verlockan citizen without those grotesque features the curse brings; her skin is smooth and white as milk, keeping her immune from the curse's claws. When the home she thought she knew is suddenly turned upside down, Fawn realizes that she cannot live surrounded by secrets any longer. Her chance comes upon meeting a cunning stranger named Jacinth, whose bold spirit leads them both into an unexplored land to discover the truth behind all the lies. Along with wise Kendry, confident Wrendolyn, and some companions along the way, Fawn finds herself as she discovers the story behind her kingdom's fate - and if there is a way to break the curse once and for all.