It has been twelve hundred years since the demons and their allies destroyed the last zdrell master, the only kind of wizard who could challenge their mastery of the world. Master Silurian, though not a zdrell master himself, has been fighting demon magic all his considerable life and hoping against hope that a new zdrell master would enter the world.

Now as the demons and their wizards are nearly ready take over the continent and cement their hold over the entire human race, Jonny is discovered by Silurian, a boy, who untutored is able to manipulate magic like the zdrell masters of old. Can Silurian train this boy and keep him alive long enough for him to become a new zdrell master before the demons sweep the continent and gain control of the entire world?