People say that if Charlie Pratt had a penny for every blunder, he'd fill his pockets and then misplace his trousers.When Charlie tries to learn more about Dalia Addair, the peculiar girl who lives in the haunted manor on the edge of town, he accidentally slots himself into her magical trial—a trial that she has spent her whole life preparing for; he gets a day.But something's wrong; the trial is unleashing monsters that haven't been seen for centuries, and ...

When a stranger arrives at the palace in the dead of night, carrying a priceless, magical artefact, Dalia and Charlie set off to find the fabled Four Watchmen who can help protect it. It couldn't have come at a worse time though, with the great house of Aelyndore opening its door to apprentices for the first time in decades and Charlie promising himself that he won't get into any more trouble this term.With time running out—literally, and deadly creatures breaching the magical barri...