In Earth Fire, Zheann Sevem learns the price of hate as she is called on to prevent rebels from finding and gaining the aid of the dragons, known as Athenque, in freeing her people, the Rys from their Med rulers. On the way, she discovers that the dragons are also rebels who have been imprisoned for centuries. She is joined in her quest by two loyal Athenque, and Estaen teaches her about the magic she thought she understood, warning her that it would be needed in her fight against the dragons.

They reach the dragon's prison too late to stop the rebels from freeing them and setting off a chain reaction that Zheann realizes may destroy her world. She races to a mountain pass where she hopes to take a stand against the forces of nature, and watches helplessly as refugees swarm to three passes hoping to save their lives while others sabotage the effort. It all comes down to a contest between Rys magic and the forces of nature. In Soul Fire, the Med and Rys who fled to the central pass begin to pull their lives together, and Zheann learns the price of love. Their world has been saved but is no longer safe. Ash falls from the sky, clouds hide the sun, and the dragons have built a rival city north of the pass. Zheann finds enemies on every side, and when she is hexed, and her daughter is abducted, she learns the price of love.

Now, in Word Fire, it turns personal. Zheann rides away from all she's been trying to build in search of her daughter, the king's mother, and a legendary trove of books that may hold the key to stopping the dragons. On the way, she struggles to master the hex that gives her great power, but power from which she longs to be free. On the way, she makes new friends and enemies but also discovers that one of the dragons, Venkis, has been busy. They reach Jitrodek, where Zheann learns the price of freedom.