In the fifth book of the Magykal series, Septimus and his friends wind up on a mysterious island with a dangerous Syren and a villainous band of sailors. Septimus is the first Apprentice ever to returned from his Queste. Following the Queste, Beetle, Jenna, Nicko and Snorri are waiting at a maritime trading post for Septimus and Spit Fyre to bring them home. However, the journey does not go as planned, and after a hair-raising flight, Septimus and the gang end up on a captivatingly beautiful island. But there are strange things about this island that Septimus must escape...