Viktorianskiy hudozhnik Redborn Komstok, kotoryy vraschaetsya v krugu prerafaelitov i znakom s mnogimi angliyskimi poetami, naprimer, Aldzhernonom Suinbernom, vstrechaet strannuyu, no beskonechno prityagatelnuyu zhenschinu, kotoraya stanovitsya dlya nego nastoyaschey muzoy. No vmeste s tvorchestvom v ego zhizn vlastno vtorgaetsya sverhestestvennoe, a razum postepenno omrachaetsya bezumiem. V Londone 1990-h godov kritik Deniel Roulends, rabotayuschiy nad knigoy ob istorii Tristana i Izoldy, napadaet na sled bestsennyh - i schitavshihsya uteryannymi - poloten kisti hudozhnikov-prerafaelitov, no poisk privodit ego k drevney i opasnoy tayne, korni kotoroy uhodyat vglub vekov. A aktera Valentina Komstoka, potomka Redborna, nachinayut presledovat svodyaschie s uma videniya, i mir vokrug nego neobratimo menyaetsya. Tak nachinaetsya istoriya, ohvatyvayuschaya neskolko pokoleniy i kontinentov, soedinyayuschaya istoriyu iskusstva i mifologiyu, v kotoroy vse ne to, chem kazhetsya, a vdohnovenie i lyubov mogut obernutsya smertyu.