Now on the cusp of manhood, Finnikin, who was a child when the royal family of Lumatere was brutally murdered and replaced by an imposter [i.e., impostor], reluctantly joins forces with an enigmatic young novice and fellow-exile, who claims that her dark dreams will lead them to a surviving royal child and a way to regain the throne of Lumatere.

Froi and his companions travel through Charyn to find Quintana and build an army to secure her unborn child's right to rule, an effort that culminates in an ultimate showdown with Isaboe of Lumatere.