Ethen Vance is a prodigious young inventor at the Aethelgard School whose mind is a maze of worldbchanging concepts. Yet, Ethen is his own greatest enemy, crippling self doubt compels him to tear down every brilliant project he starts. Known as a shadow of his potential, his lonely cycle of genius and destruction is finally broken by the arrival of Lyra Bellwether. She is his opposite confident, curious, and unwavering. When Lyra accidentally discovers Ethen's hidden blueprints, she becomes the catalyst that begins to reignite his dimmed passion, forcing the reluctant prodigy to confront his fears and finally rebuild a dream.