A reluctant, inexperienced and ineffectual ruler must become the leader his people need when an old rival's hate-filled rhetoric foments rebellion. The young ruler has an ally and mentor, a competent woman who rules the realm to the south. Unfortunately, an ancient magical treaty between their realms means she can’t send in her troops, her skyboats or her pressure guns. What she can do, though, is share a new magical communications technology and her elite corps of Gryphon Clerks.

An act of powerful magic in a moment of rage almost destroys Hope's magical career before it starts, leaving her even more determined to prove her worth. Her chance comes when she's assigned to work for the eccentric inventor known as the Clever Man. The magical technology they create together could change the course of a war and help an oppressed people plan their revolution, but wealthy and powerful interests will fight to put it down any way they can.

When a promising date ends in head trauma and ruined trousers, Hope must confront the curse she accidentally placed on herself at the end of her first relationship. But can she do so while also qualifying as a Senior Mage, solving the mystery of her parents' toxic marriage, and helping two awkward friends communicate - all while periodically blacking out? A love story, with engineering. About - and for - smart, nerdy women and the men who adore them. Content warning: While it does not depict sex directly, this book does contain "adult situations" and what one reader has described as "delicate eroticism". If you are uncomfortable with these elements, this isn't the book for you. Place in the series: This is a direct sequel to Hope and the Clever Man and picks up where that book leaves off, but it can be read as a standalone.