A summer day dawns on Mistmantle as it prepares for the coronation of Crispin, the Squirrel. Robes are stitched, cakes baked and wine brought up from cellars. And the Heartstone is readied, the unique gold - and silver - flecked stone that only the priest or the rightful ruler of the island can hold. But this newly established peace is soon under threat. A storm-ravaged ship from a distant land appears in the mists surrounding Mistmantle; a dramatic revelation about the revered Heartstone comes to light; and the extra-sensory powers of a young islander reveal the evil close at hand. Urchin will find himself journeying to a hostile island, where the maniacal King Silverbirch and his sorcerer Smokewreath await him. Urchin will have to face challenges greater than those he has ever faced before, and in doing so will learn something of his own past that will change his life irrevocably and for ever.