The Peculiar Zoe Barlow and Her Misadventures: Intro

In a house there lived a snooty, nippy imp named Zoe Barlow. Not a tattered scrawny, scheming house, filled with charms and a derelict smell, nor yet a beautiful, cold, noisy house with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was an imp-house, and that means shelter.

One day, after a troubling visit from the goblin Christian Wu, Zoe leaves her house and sets out in search of three solid spells. A quest undertaken in the company of teens, old folk and wild men.

In the search for the goblin-guarded spells, Zoe Barlow surprises even herself with her kindness and skill as a mage.

During her travels, Zoe rescues a kettle, an heirloom belonging to Christian. But when Christian refuses to try helping, their search is over.

However, Christian is wounded at the Battle of Four Armies and the two reconcile just before Zoe engages in some serious magic awesomeness.

Zoe accepts one of the three solid spells and returns home to her house a very wealthy imp.

One of her potions hits the ground as Zoe stares at the motionless body of the girl at the front porch of her home.