The story is split between two timelines. One timeline follows Sophia Ashmore as she assists her husband James in his search for a rare breed of spiders known as Pseudonephila Sireine on a remote island in Greece. The primary timeline follows Henry Latimer, an audiologist and poet, as he attempts to assist Edward Ashmore in gaining investors for his unique spider silk fabric. 

The fabric is unusual in the fact that one side creates complete silence, cutting off all sound of the outside world, while the other side causes a sound nicknamed the Telverton malaise which causes an illness known as the echoes. The echoes cause deafness and madness, which has corrupted the town and all who live and work around the factory. 

As Sophia discovers more about the island people, the spiders, and her growing love for a village woman named Hira so too does Henry learn of the curse of the spiders as he struggles with his own infatuation for Sir Edward. 

This book is so hard to explain! I enjoyed it, though I will say the characters are not lovable - this book is filled with characters who are cruel, self-absorbed, and gaslight each other left and right. Even so, I found the book interesting and it kept me invested. 

There are a few side characters I would have liked to see more of like Philomel, Edward's daughter, who was born deaf due to complications with the spiders - her and her mother's story would make an interesting prequel/sequel. 

If you get an opportunity to pick it up on release day prepare for some gothic vibes and a lot of references to Greek Mythology! Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and author Bridget Collins for allowing me to read an ARC of this book