To some, the return of magic is a miracle; to others, a catastrophe.

For physicist Julia Chen, it's all a colossal headache. Now, she's setting out across the wintry, post-apocalyptic landscape of Fairy-occupied Canada in search of answers. The subject of her inquiries: an enigmatic Fae known only as Mr. Elsevier, who seems to have power over matter and energy at the most fundamental level and who is willing to share this knowledge-for a price.

But Julia's quest does not take place in a political vacuum. In Ottawa, the new Fairy Viceroy draws up her plans for the country, even as her puppet Prime Minister, Chuck Oakes, struggles desperately to protect his people. But rebellion is brewing, and Mr. Elsevier may just be the key to human victory.

Now, with the murderous politics of the Fae heating up, Julia will soon learn that, in sorcery as in science, simple questions can sometimes have very dangerous answers. She is on the cusp of ultimate knowledge: a theory of magic that would explain what has become of the world and how it can be reversed.

What do you do when asking the wrong question may well unravel reality itself?