The Quicksand Theatre Company
Coming February 2026
A swoony, slow-burn, cozy, queer romantic fantasy of runaway secrets, fae bargains, and sequins in the spotlight. Though set in the same world as Lava Red Feather Blue and Ballad for Jasmine Town, this book is a standalone—no need to have read the other two first.
When Vai Delvecchio leaves their home in the night, fleeing a family scandal, they knock on the door of the least likely but most alluring of sanctuaries: the traveling Quicksand Theatre Company. Actor Leo Takahashi—a.k.a. Leonidas the Obstreperous—grants Vai a bed in his caravan in exchange for Vai’s magical assistance in theatrical productions. Vai finds their respectable, dignified life transformed into a whimsical world of sequins, makeup, and irreverent comedy sketches.
In the caravan’s close quarters, it’s inevitable that Leo and Vai grow curious about each other, a feeling that blossoms into mutual desire. But trouble waits in the wings. Vai has to face the fallout of their family’s mistakes, and Leo guards a somber secret: soon, an unbreakable deal he made with a malevolent faery will take effect, destroying his freedom and potentially his life.
Yet it may be in the darkest lairs of the fae realm, and in the painful longing of separation, that Vai and Leo each find the truth that makes them whole again.
OTHER EIDOLONIA BOOKS (all can be read as stand-alones): Lava Red Feather Blue and Ballad for Jasmine Town
REVIEWS:
“Seamlessly blends a unique magic system, complex family dynamics, a poignant romance, the everyday chaos of a traveling theatre company, and wonderful queer characters. The result is a story that’s as vibrant as it is compelling.”
— Jamie Deacon, author of The Music of Unexpected Things and the Boys on the Brink series
PREORDER: