A new world rises, born from the combined books of beginning, wielded by the magician who had sought after them for millennia. Finally, the Dire Magnus has infinite power in the palm of his hand, the power to to build himself a throne and make the universe kneel at his feet. For those who stand against him and fear his rule, it's a desperate rush to flee from his control, and to search for the hope that seems to be lost forever.
Kate Wibberly stands by the Dire Magnus's side. She managed to free her siblings from his claws, but she herself remains in the belly of the beast, trying to gather information and find a way to fix this for everyone while avoiding the suspicions of her enemies. She's balancing on a tightrope with no safety net beneath her. And yet, even while walking this line, allies and magic are still within reach. As the Dire Magnus expands his rule, Kate builds her own coalition, determined to make things right and protect her family, at any cost.
This new world is not like the old. The clear divides of good and evil have been blurred, and no longer can anyone win anything by sticking to their morals. This is an age of dark magic, of plots and death, lies and tragic motives, and children who double as the monsters under the bed. For those who have always been careless, it's a playground, for those who live by a noble code, a nightmare. And for Kate, known for her kindness but also her ruthless fighting for those she loves, it's something entirely else. She plays her game well, but eventually, she will have to pick a side. Will she fight alongside the resistance and her family? Or will she accept the crown that her enemy - who is also Rafe, the boy she loves - offers her, and become the queen of his universe? All she knows is once again she has to carry the weight of the world, and whatever choices she makes, there will be sacrifices to go along with them.
The clock is ticking, and when it stops, one way or another, Kate's heart will break yet again.
Years after the events of Dance of Magic, the Wibberly siblings and their friends are all grown up and have made lives for themselves in the magical world. Emma hunts down magical threats as a warrior, Michael works to unify the magical races, and Kate helps both of them while doing charity work and raising her own three children with her husband, Rafe. It's a time of thriving lives and happiness.
But the past has returned to threaten their future. An unexpected enemy wants them destroyed and will do anything to make that happen. The Wibberlys find their old alliances crumbling. And Lili, the eldest of Kate and Rafe's children, is discovering her own power and darkness in the midst of all this chaos. They must race against time and in some cases, through it, to find the only thing that could save them from the evil threatening to swallow them whole.
To save everything they hold dear, all generations of Wibberlys, and a few new friends, must come together and fight to ensure history doesn't repeat itself. But will they triumph, or will their worst enemy be the one within?