In this steampunk fairy tale, Patience is no proper young lady. Faced with the prospect of marriage, she runs away from home, from wealth, and a looming life of lies. She finds a garden guarded by a fantastic beast.

The beast also guards a young girl like herself, alone in the world. Ada is wise and beautiful. Their burgeoning friendship is threatened by outside forces. Only a clockwork menagerie of monsters can save them from an unfriendly world.