When her beloved forest no longer gives her comfort and her brother Razo invites Rinna to the city to be one of Queen Ani's waiting women, she happily accepts, only to discover her own strength comes from places both expected and unexpected.

Fern wishes she had normal parents and a normal name. Instead, she has eccentric botanist parents who named her after her father's favorite plant. Lily, Fern's mother, assures her one day she'll understand their love of plants, but Fern can't believe it. She hates plants and could do with less of them in her life. Then Lily disappears suddenly while attending to a mysterious and rare silver rose. Fern and her dad are heartbroken but have no idea what...

On their way home after defeating the Khan, Elissa becomes separated from her donkey, Gertrude, and friend Maya, so with the hope of being reunited, she hitches a ride with the unusual crew aboard the precarious Swamp Maiden.