In the land of the Boyar, a boy will fall in love and become much more than a man.

In this fantasy romance for all ages, a boy catches a glimpse of Fifika, as he flees with his family from danger, traveling with his clan with haste to the lands of the boyar, a mysterious benefactor. Smitten, the boy becomes her playmate there in the Carpathians where the boyar resides and whose hillsides are filled with enchanted beasts. The boyar assures the clan that the beasts are harmless unless provoked, but some of the members are not so sure.

When tragedy visits Fifika's family, the boyar invites her and the boy into his castle to learn from his English tutor, a lazy and fearful man. The boy, now almost a man, falls deeply in love under Fifika's tutelage.

When he finally learns Fifika's secret, he must choose between his family and the only life he knows and the uncertain dangers of life with her in the mountainous lands of the boyar with a very different kind of family.

Blending magic, romance, and poetry, In the Service of the Boyar is a classic shapeshifter coming of age tale for young adults and fantasy fans of any age.