This is one of the longer novellas I've read recently, and boy - do I wish we had more tales of Esther and her crew. As is common with SFF stories, it took me a couple of chapters to orient myself in the world, understand the lingo and terminology being used, and to get a grasp of the magic systems at work in the plot. Readers bear witness to our MC's inner thoughts, flashes of memories, and her understanding of the universe to help with this debriefing process.

Esther's son, a Keeper (a sort of guardian of the realm), has been kidnapped and held hostage by a dragon lord in a distant realm. For the first time in a while, Esther calls together her crew (the Hex) and asks for their help in retrieving her son. The embark on this mission, encounter the dangers of the Beyond, a dragon lord who sends them on a mission of his own, and team up with an unlikely party to rescue her son. (All while protecting her son's spouse, who is not the person they thought he was.)

I want to read more about everyone's backstories and histories. Especially Esther and her Hex - I can't imagine the types of misadventures they've been on.