The The Reluctant Lord

'Normal' ceased to be a word in fifteen-year-old Acacia Wheatley's vocabulary, at least when used to describe her own life. Almost a year has passed since Acacia discovered the existence of magic, the supernatural world surrounding her, and her own identity as 'the Heir of Swansgrove', the heir to a powerful magical lineage with the power to vanquish the rising powers of darkness. After all, the existence of magic wasn't the problem, the existence of dark mages, namely a man by the name of Sisyphus was. Months after Acacia's last encounter with Sisyphus, she is still learning about the magical world she was thrust into, from the infamous Underground located under the streets of Silent Springs to the ever-present Council of Mages and their shocking history. As she continues to adjust to the power and responsibility of being the Heir of Swansgrove, Acacia finds herself learning more and more about her friends as well, from the Swiatkowskis' tenuous connection with the Council, the nature of Onawa's Dragon-Speaking, and the precarious governance exerted by Mattes in the Underground. Mysteries abound as does danger. As the year goes on, Acacia keeps hearing of a dark magic ritual, the Curse of the Black Dragon, which if performed, could throw the magical world into turmoil. Will Acacia be able to master her growing powers and learn to not only fight, but lead in time to stop Sisyphus and his allies from another assault on the magical community that she has become a part of?