The brittle peace the kingdom of Arvia has maintained for the last 300 years is on the verge of shattering. Larger kingdoms lurk at its borders and there is a traitor among its court. For Mirren Lapsfrey, beloved Dragon Tamer and bastard sister to the Queen Commander, war feels inevitable. All she can hope is that a lifetime spent hunting monsters will be enough to prepare her for the battle to come. But when she discovers a strange stone deep in the mountains, her sister sends her to the infamous Monster of the Library for answers.

"They say he knows everything, and what he doesn't know he can find out," the queen promises.

But Crest isn't a monster, just a man with an unusual gift. And when that gift uncovers a clue toward the location of the legendary Sword of Dragonsblood, a weapon prophesied to bring peace and protection to their tiny kingdom, he finds himself swept up into Mirren's quest to recover the powerful relic and bring it home. As much as he'd like to refuse, to stay in his little library, an edict from the Queen Commander herself forces his compliance.

Bound by great need, Mirren and Crest must traverse the country of Arvia in search of the famed Sword, and along the way are forced to face the dark forgotten history of their kingdom, the truth behind Crest's unsettling abilities, and the growing connection between them.