Sparrow has lived all twelve years of her life completely devoid of any oddities. She spends her days singing for the villagers, munching away at croissants and pastries in Mr. Kanta's bakery, or frolicking in the forest with her faerie friends. This all changes when she and her companion Basil are unexpectedly taken to Grindlewink, School for the talented and the royal, neither of which describe Sparrow. There she uncovers her mysterious past, meets new allies and gains rivals, and saves her world from an unrelenting darkness.