When it comes to saving someone, you'd think wielding magic would be enough. You'd be wrong.

Sixteen-year-old Annie Jenkins learns this the hard way when she discovers she's inherited magical abilities from her mother and has the rare ability to Reflect immortal beings back into the human world. Sure, that power is great, if the magic were balanced enough to use it. It's not, and it's Annie's job to bring equilibrium to the Shadows—magically transformed humans existing between life and death. When she finds out she also doesn't have the capability to cure her terminally ill mother, Annie realizes magic isn't as great as everyone thinks.

Determined not to become an orphan, Annie throws herself into her training, learning protections, how to make potions, and transporting to new locations to bring the magic back into balance. She's distracted by Jonathan Clarke, a mysterious and dangerous Shadow, who's been searching for someone with Annie's Mirror power for one hundred years. He desperately needs Annie to become human again, and she desperately needs his healing abilities to save her mom.

With the magic out of balance, an old rebellion escalates, putting Annie at the top of the hit list and Jon's transformation on hold. Depleted because of her tenacious training, Annie wavers in her decision to Reflect Jon, he's recruited by the opposition, and their friends may be their biggest enemies. If Jon and Annie can't find a way to overcome the dissenters, transformations and potions won't do any good. There is no spell to revive the dead.