After settling matters related to the pirate queen, Amelia and her sisters enjoy a short time of peace, until she decides to go home, to Cakana. She wants to reconnect with a man she fell in love with, but The Book of Newts has other plans.

When the conflict comes to a head, The Book refuses to cooperate and takes back the gifts it's been quietly imparting. As a result, Amelia discovers it's been bolstering her exceptional ability with mathematics and piloting. Left to her own devices, the task of navigating space becomes potentially deadly, because she can no longer perform the required calculations in her head, or on paper.

Without that, the journey home will take nine months, rather than mere days, practically ensuring the man she loves will have moved on.

Meanwhile, a duo of deadly witches they left behind, and hoped never to see again, have since learned to fly through space and wish for a helping of revenge. Lieutenant Colonel Scarth Denholm is furious with Amelia for betraying her and she's got Captain Kristina "Killer" Krauss with her. Worse, they're welcomed into space by one of the last pirates, Captain Edwina "Roaring" Rowley, who also has a bone to pick with Amelia and her sisters.

Will Amelia survive long enough to reignite the love she once had, or will she be forced to give up her greatest desire, just to satisfy The Book?