Two queens sit on two thrones in two different worlds, and their reigns may come to an end. In the iron world, conspiracy and subterfuge within England's royal courts continue to threaten Elizabeth's power. In the Faerie realm, Mab, bound by magic to her sister sovereign, finds herself weakened as well. Now the fate of two worlds lies in the hands of two clever wordsmiths ...
Kit Marley and William Shakespeare are playwrights in the service of Her Majesty, employed by the Prometheus Club. Their words, infused with magic, empower Elizabeth's rule. But some of the Prometheans, composed of England's most influential men and mages, have dissenting ideas about how best to serve the nation - and usurping the queen is not out of the question.
Able to walk in both worlds, Kit desperately seeks allies to aid him in his mission to protect both Elizabeth and Mab - only to encounter enemies, mortal and monster, who will stop at nothing to usher in a new age. But despite the might of his adversaries, Kit possesses more power than even he can possibly imagine.