There were no winners of the war that ripped Briar's world apart; a war between those who had power, and those who did not. In the generations since, the survivors have learnt to live without technology, to carve a more rural life out of the land, and to hide their powers away.

Briar's family has power. To protect themselves, they live isolated, hidden within the bushland, and over a day from the nearest village, never forgetting that friends and neighbours would turn against them if they knew their secret.

When she encounters Thorn, the mysterious silver haired man with technologically advanced black dragon-scale armour, in the bushland around her farm, Briar finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. However, his motivations are unclear, and as she continues to keep him secret from her family, she begins to wonder if she is risking their safety in doing so.

When the village is attacked, Briar sets off on a journey that will change her relationship to her power, and answer the question: was Thorn an ally... or an invader?