Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Avi returns to Scholastic with a tantalizing prequel to his bestselling medieval mystery MIDNIGHT MAGIC. A plot to overthrow King Claudio is brewing in the Kingdom of Pergamontio. Scholarly Mangus the magician—along with his street-smart and faithful new servant boy, Fabrizio—have been marked as easy scapegoats for the traitor lurking within the king's court. Together, these two unlikely partners must gather clues to solve the mystery and prove their innocence before the stroke of midnight. . . or face death! Intricate plotting, surprise twists, and lively prose make for another suspenseful page-turner that stands alone or sets the stage for MIDNIGHT MAGIC!

On a stormy night in the Kingdom of Pergamontio, Mangus the Magician is summoned to the king's castle. Because Mangus has been under house arrest for confessing to be a magician, he and his loyal servant boy, Fabrizio, cannot imagine why the king is calling for him. But magic is exactly what the king needs. Night after night, a terrifying ghost has been haunting the princess, and the king demands that Mangus free his daughter from its torment... of pay with his life. Since Mangus doesn't believe in ghosts, his only hope is Fabrizio, who must solve the mystery using logic and reason-and a bit of magic of his own.