Hope Stornaway of Chare has been busy since she graduated from Morrowlea. A foundling orphan, she has discovered her family origin and mostly managed to fulfill the requirements to inherit the Ironwood fortune. Mostly.

Since there are still those few outstanding hoops to jump through before she can take up her place, she has ended up the guest of Jemis Greenwing's family friends in Ragnor Bella.

Ragnor Bella is supposed to be the dullest town in Northwest Oriole. Hope was actually rather looking forward to a quiet Winterturn. But even with doing her best to sidestep the chaos that follows Jemis around, Hope can get into situations all on her own ...

A side story to the main Greenwing & Dart series, Balancing Stone takes place shortly after Plum Duff (and a few days before The Saint of the Bookstore).