Amber Martel just wants to get through her Master's degree. Or at least make an attempt at it. She's early into her first semester and is feeling the weight of self-doubt and heartbreak as she tries to organize her thesis and deal with living on her own for the first time. It's more than enough stress in her 23-year-old life.


A research trip to a natural history museum throws her life into new chaos, however, when she touches a piece of quartz and unleashes an explosion that is destructive, powerful - and magical. Now Amber finds herself in the care of two women who claim to have connections to the origins of magic. They tell Amber that she is special, that magic outside their family is unprecedented, and that she needs to help them.


Amber wants nothing more than to go home, but it soon becomes clear that might not be safe. Strangers attack them with magic they shouldn't possess, local police are pointing to them as terrorism suspects, and an enemy from the early days of magic has returned - even though he should be long dead.