Bryony, the impulsive, curious Princess of the magical country of Riach begins her journey to return to her throne. She escapes imprisonment by tricking the Wraith of the Wastes who haunts the Tower and then heads to the dragon-filled land of Draig. There she finds out her people were betrayed and her new companion, the Wraith, has a reputation that started a manhunt for it to stop it from wreaking havoc. The demons of the South and the Fae to the East are sending soldiers to imprison the creature once more. Bryony is presumed dead but once the truth is revealed that Bryony has control over the beast, she is also hunted and has to bribe some pirates to escape capture.

Bryony's plan is to reunite with her Aunt on the other side of the world but she needs to escape capture first and ends up having to travel through the dangerous waters of the Wastes to avoid further skirmishes. In the Wastes, she realises her monstrous companion was originally one of her people and that her ancestors made choices that destroyed the land and ruined the magic. However, all is not lost, as Bryony believes that once she is restored to the throne she will be able to fix what was broken in her quest for peace.