Ash is missing and must be found. Confounding the matter, the Conjurer King Slayert launches an attack against the remaining free cities. When Slayert’s massive army of hulking swordsmen and axe-wielding boarmen marches on Blackgrove, there’s little doubt the city will succumb. Saving the world falls to our three heroes, who must steal the magical artifact that makes Slayert invincible—his own crown, called the Kingshackle. But it’s guarded by a ferocious dragon in addition to the king’s insurmountable magic. To unleash the power within her, Tessa must win the King’s Challenge, the ultimate proof of her intelligence, valor, and heart. But the Challenge tests her in ways she could not have imagined.