Emmaline Lyland is a perfectly abnormal fifteen-year-old girl struggling to find her place in an ordinary world full of extraordinary magic. When she returns to Ackley Institute for another school year, she quickly realizes it will be one unlike any other. With tensions running high across Andar, relationships between the regions and the students are quickly falling apart. A hidden danger lurks outside the safety of the school walls, and Emmie and her friends are determined to uncover the mystery. When Ackley is attacked, Emmie realizes they are closer to the truth than they knew. As the number of casualties grows, the country teeters on the brink of a civil war and they make a decision that could change their lives forever. But will it be enough to save her friends and prevent war? Or will the country be permanently changed by the unexpected magic?