The Adventures of a Sawdust Man tells the story of a book of magical spells, a grimoire, created by a 10th century prince, to woo a 10th century princess.
Although he dies before he can give her the book, the prince's spirit entices Winchester Penrose, a manikin made entirely of sawdust, Gavin Baycroft, a lovesick 17-year-old boy, and Shelburne, Dassault, and LaRoche, a trio of wily sorcerers, to unwittingly bring him back to life so he can complete the task.
Without quite knowing what they are doing, the duped quintet careers through twists and turns of time and space that ultimately brings the prince face-to-face with the 21st-century.
Along the way, Penrose learns about the meaning of life, Gavin about the meaning of love, and the three sorcerers about the value of trust.