After saving Yngerlande from the plot to overthrow Queen Matilda and install Oliver as the new King, Silas Cummerbund, The Watcher, spends the long hot summer training Princess Gaia to use her secret magical powers so that she can keep the country safe in the future. But all the while, he is being watched by Shrike, the strange and secretive kitchen boy.
When Matilda is kidnapped, and various allies disappear, it is clear that Oliver and Jacob have returned and are more dangerous than ever. Silas summons Thomas Trelawney, The Friend, from England to help protect the realm once more. He came to the rescue once before - can he do it again?