As the inhabitants of the island of Mistmantle prepare for the coronation of Crispin the squirrel, robes are stitched, cakes are baked, wine is brought up from the cellars, and the Heartstone—the unique gold-and-silver-flecked stone that only the priest or rightful ruler of the island can hold—is readied. But the newly established peace in Mistmantle is soon under threat. A storm-ravaged ship from a distant land appears in the mists surrounding the island; a dramatic revelation about the revered Heartstone comes to light; and the extrasensory powers of a young islander reveal the evil close at hand.