When the Archmage dies under mysterious circumstances, former Wizmart employee Tark suddenly finds himself promoted from Assistant Professor of Reform Magic to Headmaster of the Academy. It should be everything he's dreamed of - if only the ward-stones weren't failing, his girlfriend wasn't pregnant, and his shed-tent would stop developing architectural opinions.

As dark forces gather and ancient protections crumble, Tark must unite an unlikely team: a sarcastic goblin groundskeeper, a shadow-wielding street kid, and a perfectionist professor who may have murdered his predecessor. But the real threat might not be the evil librarian corrupting his students - it could be the darkness he himself brought within the Academy's walls.

Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones, this magical comedy explores what happens when the chosen one is more qualified to stock cheese than save the world.