Isla's search for her missing brother, Pirie, has brought her to the vast Wildlands. The forest is a treacherous place for a fox cub, but Isla is talented in foxcraft — ancient arts of cunning known only to her kind. Skilled though she is, Isla's grasp of foxcraft is still new. And she's not alone... A cruel and mysterious fox stalks the forest, with the power to enslave others to his will. In order to survive, Isla must learn to trust in the rustic Wildlands foxes. But there are tales of others — a council of Elders who are masters of foxcraft, and who warily guard its most potent secrets. If Isla wishes to master her gifts and find her brother, then the Elders may be her only hope.

Isla has arrived at the frigid Snowlands to find her lost brother, Pirie. The tundra is a harsh place — and the wolves who live within its icy kingdoms are harsher still — but Isla's flair for the mysterious arts of foxcraft has grown tremendously. The young fox is on a mission of grave importance. A cruel and powerful fox known as the Mage is using his own mastery of foxcraft to summon an ancient threat. If he succeeds, then more than just Pirie's life will be at stake. But Isla discovers the once-proud wolves are broken and wary. Their king is weak, struck by a peculiar madness, and a rival kingdom threatens their borders. If Isla can't find help amongst the wolves, then the whole world will burn.