A heart condition and a jerk of a father meant twelve-year-old Aster Wood had plenty of problems to deal with already. They were the complaints of a human kid with a broken family and an uncertain future.But now, stranded on another planet, it turns out Aster's not quite as human as he, and everyone around him, believed. On the planets within the Maylin Fold, Aster's ancestors have a long history of magical dealings, and he's the last in the line who can solve the riddle of where the famous sorcerer, Almara, disappeared to two hundred years ago.But Cadoc, the raving commander who has long sought to stamp out all knowledge of Almara, has caught wind of Aster's plans. He joins the hunt, only it's Aster he seeks. If he can't sway the boy to unite with him, then his head on a spike will have to do.Aster needs to get back to Earth, now.Unfortunately, Cadoc seems to be the only Mayliner with the power to send him home. Without the tyrant's help, any chance of seeing the fractured remains of his family again will evaporate, and he could be trapped in Maylin forever. Aster is certain that finding Almara is the key to making his way home; if he, or any of his followers, are still alive. But Cadoc draws ever closer, and the madman's noose grows tighter around Aster's neck with each step he takes along the trail Almara left behind.