Yolken Thornhill has a gift. His ability to craft unique ales has made him locally famous. But when tragedy strikes the small town of Lonely Oak, he uses another gift-a forbidden gift-and attracts deadly attention. The Drake family rules over all of Dradonia. They are known as the Blessed of the Dragon, worshipped by many and respected by all. When they visit Lonely Oak, the locals celebrate with an impromptu festival. When news of the festival reaches Yolken, he seizes the rare opportunity to bring high-profile attention to his ales. At first, the celebration is a big success. But in one terrible moment, a loved one ends up dead, and the Blessed take his brother Javen prisoner. As truth unravels around Yolken, he finds himself in the middle of a centuries-long struggle for power and justice. He must rely on the help of a small rebel group that common folks fear to name aloud. As he learns to control his new gift, he is anxious to free Javen before their family's connection to the rebels gets Javen killed. But unbeknownst to Yolken, the Blessed's plan for Javen is not a simple rebel's death, but something much more sinister. When the Blessed finally catch up to Yolken, he must choose an impossible path: a path that could cost him his life. The path of the Synthesizer.