Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here. Although he has no memory of his childhood, he is sure he came from Outside. His link to the Outside, his chance to break free, is Claudia, the warden's daughter, herself determined to escape an arranged marriage....

In an alternative past where the Franco-British Empire controls the world's only source of magic, Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the throne, and Aelwyn Myrddyn, a bastard mage, rekindle their childhood friendship as they plot to save Marie from a loveless, political marriage.