The year is 1587. Queen Elizabeth is on the throne of England and the country is on the brink of war with Spain. In a world of Renaissance magic, dire portents and dangerous secrets, eighteen year old Sidonie Quince has inherited the ability to foresee the future. Sidonie, whose true interest is in the rational world of mathematics is frightened by her powers of vision, knowing that they brought about her mother’s death. (Young adult)