In a world where dragons rule the sky and ogres walk the earth, a young woman leads a rebellion against the corrupt king in pursuit of answers and revenge. Eighteen-year-old Thea Wyvern has hated King Favian Lance of Creasan her entire life. It isn't a hard emotion to have when she has grown up witnessing murder in the streets and starvation in her family and friends. Raised in the rebellion known as The Source, Thea has been trained and conditioned to handle herself in battles of both violence and intellect. After the king executed someone very close to her, Thea has been working towards the king's demise as The Source's new leader. When an assassination attempt goes horribly wrong, Thea becomes the king's prisoner and is given a firsthand look at the people she has loathed her entire life. She takes note of the king's insecurity, the handsome Prince Fendrel Lance's carefully restrained demeanor, the abused look of Queen Ana, and the delicate balance of court life. Armed with this knowledge, she manages to escape the palace with a new plan to help her fellow citizens. If she can find Aestus, the dragon responsible for the founding of the kingdom, she might finally be able to overthrow the horrible king. It is a perilous and risky mission, but her fellow rebels agree to the plan. Joined by the prince whose motivations may only appear to be genuine, they head for The Forbidden Mountain, where Aestus is said to live. The rebels will have to fight against the mythical creatures of the forest, the weather, and their own prejudices. Meanwhile, the king and queen are caught in their own web of danger as Ana seeks safety away from her husband and the Lance family curse sends Favian spiraling into madness. The fate of the royal family, the people of Creasan, and The Source all rest on Thea's last-ditch plan, but her own trauma might very well be the largest threat to the mission.