In this continuation of the story of Jake Everton, Lord Griffon, he and his allies are still reeling from the death of their leader, Aunt Ramona, as well as other high-ranking members of the Order of the Yew Tree. Training for future Guardians and Lightriders is increased, while those already in service are on heightened alert.

Lord Wyvern and the Dark Druids, of course, are not resting on their victory at Merlin Hall. Plans are underway to crown Wyvern as the leader of the Druids and celebrate the occasion by unleashing a horrendous attack on the whole world. Thanks to some intrepid spying, the Guardians learn when and where the ceremony is to take place and plot their own attack.

As both sides prepare to go to battle, Jake is doing some training of his own with a new power he has acquired--against the advice of all of his friends who warn him it will be too powerful for him. He plans to sneak into the battle against the Dark Druids by disguising himself as a Guardian, but his plot is foiled when he is recognized just before departure.

It turns out that it's just as well he is forced to stay at Merlin Hall, as that is one of the first sites where Wyvern sends his unholy army; if Jake hadn't been there to lead his friends, all might have been lost.

This is an action-packed book which I found hard to put down. It could be read on its own, but a new reader would not understand all of the back story and would not get as much enjoyment out of it so I highly recommend reading the previous books in the series first.

I received a free Advanced Review Copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )