In a remote fortress among frigid mountains, Glim the Grim is overwhelmed by responsibilities he doesn't want. His father, the captain of the guard, teaches him swordcraft--though there's nothing to guard against. An irascible mage named Master Willow teaches him to ply essentiæ, but clearly despises Glim. Teased by other kids for having mismatched eyes, and without a mother to support him, Glim talks to the wind as a way to distract him from his duties. And the wind talks back. Eventually he suspects the adults have been lying to him. His immaturity and outrage collide, and Glim unknowingly rekindles an ancient conflict, putting the fortress at risk. He needs all of his training to set things right. As he confronts the lies, Glim learns the questions he should have been asking all along: Is the wind's voice just his imagination? Why did his mother abandon him? And what agenda does Master Willow truly have in this remote fortress guarding nothing but ice?  The answers reveal a truth that horrifies Glim: his childish anxiety and outrage were merely a warm-up. When the hammer unfalls, it will disrupt everything. Read the story that has been described as “real magic.”