Twelve-year old Ethan Moseby and his ten -year old sister, Jynx, are dreading spending Christmas break with Socrates Maupin, an estranged uncle who is as peculiar as his temperamental mansion in Deadmoor, Virginia. How can they be expected to survive without TV? Is their uncle really a spy like the locals claim? And what is causing the creepy occurrences within the old house’s walls? Though Socrates surprises the siblings by spending more time with them than their self-absorbed parents ever had, they’re ready to leave. But when Ethan hears a strange voice after discovering a maze on his uncle’s property, he knows he must stay to solve the voice’s cryptic message: “Seek the light to reveal the shrouded treasure. For the sake of the trust.” With the help of Jynx and a young local genius named Amos Sprunt, Ethan must crack riddles and ciphers to locate an enchanted painting leading to the shrouded treasure. A treasure hidden in the recesses of time. A treasure that—when reunited with three other concealed objects—could control the world’s fate with unstoppable magic. But the kids aren’t alone on the hunt. Their uncle is actually Merlin, the legendary wizard who has left England for the new world. Together they battle blood-thirsty pirates of yore, and Morgause, a fairy witch with a riddle-loving goblin and giant flame-spitting salamander on her side. Can Ethan, Amos, and Jynx find the wit, strength, and bravery they need to reach the treasure—before it falls into the wrong hands?