Katya, a 16-year-old high school junior, is increasingly concerned about her parents' arguments and hopes that she can talk with her mother, Forna, about them on their next vacation together. To Katya's surprise, her vacation is turned upside down when she ends up going with her father, Luca, instead, but to a place she never imagined existed. Her recurring dream becomes a reality when Luca disappears, and she ends up in another realm in a place called the Kingdom of Katyashan. She is shocked and confused when she is thrust into the limelight and finds out that she is the rightful ruler of the Kingdom because her real parents are nowhere to be found. Her quest to find Luca, the only father she has ever known, has her travelling through the Kingdom with a number of guides, including Trevon whom she becomes romantically involved with, and Jonah who guides her through the mountains. She meets the people of Katyashan, including her relatives, who all know who she is, even though she has been living on Earth since she was a one-year-old. The people of the Kingdom all speak of her evil godfather, Okned, who has casted a dark spell over the Kingdom and forced them into hiding. When she finally reaches Luca, he throws her into the dungeon of the Castle of Korel and discovers that family is not always what it seems. She is happy to meet up with Trevon again and must decide who else to trust on her journey, including Okned, whom she meets in the dungeon and escapes with through the Lake of Korel.