Set in a fictive mountain range somewhere in the north of Scotland, the first book of the series introduces the reader to a world where some people decide to live without technology, protecting their gifted healers and everything Other from the narrowminded outside world. It follows the path of sisters Avlia and Lubica who have grown up in the mountain range as well as Ciaràn, who would much rather stay in the "normal" part of the world but is forced to move back up only to realize that maybe things aren't quite as bad as he remembers.