The crystal compass predicts a turning point when Reann, a seventeen-year-old servant, will take control of her fate, and Terith, a fearless dragon rider, will determine the fate of his people. Using the Crystal Compass to track and alter fate, King Toran joined the five realms and tied their destinies to the survival of his secret heirs. But the king is dead and his enemies gather. The hope of all lies with the heirs of Toran. But nobody knows who they are.