The enchantment and mystery of Renaissance Elizabethan England and the threat of the Spanish Armada serve as the backdrop for this tale of natural magic, alchemy and scrying. What is endorsed is the classical quest, and archetype heroic pattern. Kernahan’s use of real historical figures like Humphrey Gilbert and William Shakespeare, blended with original and unforgettable fictional characters add to the rich detail, while her impeccable research allow this novel to travel beyond its initial young adult audience. The language components are uncompromising, and although there is a familiar feel of a young protagonist (Sidonie Quince) and her reluctance to use her gifts (seeing the future), the archetype plot of saving her father and her country is reinvented with great power.