At a loss after finishing their end-of-year exams, Aubrey and George travel to the Gallian capital, Lutetia, where it so happens that the lovely Caroline is studying natural history. Aubrey wants to pursue a cure for his condition - though his family has other ideas, and he's soon burdened with a royal mystery to solve, old letters to procure, a missing ornithologist to locate, and a spot of diplomatic espionage.

Magical genius Aubrey Fitzwilliam, along with his loyal friend George, is trying to immerse himself in his new life at college. But for Aubrey life is never straightforward. When Aubrey's father, the Prime Minister, invites them to take a ride on a top-secret submersible, Aubrey and George can't resist. But a sudden magical attack threatens to send them to the bottom of the ocean and begins a whirlwind series of events.

It may look like a simple wire device, but the Beccaria Cage could be the cure for Aubrey's condition: a way to reunite his body and soul. But can Aubrey solve its mysteries while Dr. Tremaine's warmongering machinations gather pace? After magical confrontations, near-death experiences, and the appearance of new allies and new enemies, Aubrey decides that there is only one thing to do: carry the fight to the enemy.

The war that has been looming for so long finally erupts, sending Albion and the continent into chaos. Aubrey, George, and Caroline are brought into a top-secret espionage unit and sent on a mission to investigate a mysterious magical facility on the Gallia - Holmland border. There they uncover a factory that is about to unleash an unstoppable horror that could win the war within weeks. The only way to save hundreds of thousands of lives could cost Aubrey his friends, his family, his reputation - and even his life.

Instead of clearing his name in Albion, Aubrey has chosen to pursue his enemy, Dr. Mordecai Tremaine, deep into the heart of enemy territory. What he uncovers about Dr. Tremaine's plans promises to change the course of the war and the future of humanity itself. A hideous combination of electrical science and soul-shattering magic is bringing the world far closer to the edge of the abyss than anyone apart from Aubrey realizes. Aubrey must risk everything, or there'll be no world left to save.