A young thief is drawn into a life of magic and adventure after picking the pocket of the powerful wizard Nevery Flinglas, who has returned from exile to attempt to reverse the troubling decline of magic in Wellmet City.

Young wizard's apprentice Connwaer travels to the city of Desh to find the source of the malevolent shadowmen who are plaguing Wellmet City.

Alex is an apprentice librarian in a kingdom that keeps all the books locked up but doesn't know if it's to keep the books safe from readers or... to keep readers safe from the books! When the royal librarian suspiciously dies, Alex impersonates the old man so the young queen won't know who he really is. She gives the scruffy, obnoxious boy enough time to prove himself-- and enough time for them to learn that the books are more than just powerful,...