The year is 1533. Elsbeth Joris is about to be executed for witchcraft when Andreas Wagner cuts her loose from the ducking stool. Exiled from family and village, Elsbeth accepts Andreas's offer to accompany him back to his home in Munster, Germany—a decision that plunges her into a world of unhinged prophets, sassy nuns, and a deranged charlatan king. A disillusioned former monk, Andreas is returning home to confront his past, but the city is on the brink of collapse. Crowds rave hysterically in the streets, churches are ransacked, convents and monasteries empty, sacred texts are burned, and polygamy is instituted as God's law. To his surprise, Andreas finds that Ulrich Schlatter, a former nemesis, has also returned, seeking revenge on those who exiled him years ago. Stakes are raised for everyone when the Prince-Bishop of Westphalia calls mercenaries to besiege the city. The rebels, however, offer unexpected resistance, thwarting hopes for a quick victory. Finding refuge with one another and new friends in the ensuing struggle, Elsbeth and Andreas discover that love in the reign of a mad king is not impossible, but it does come with scars.