At fifteen, Bhuvan Chauhan walks into a tree in his backyard and is transported to Umpling, where he befriends Orville, who can control ice, lives in a house built on an Oak tree, and, like Bhuvan, is an Andrunain: manipulators of nature. The Andrunain world seems exciting: flying carriages pulled by Garuds, a Scottish Jinxmith who creates magical objects, and a confectionery store serving Chocolate Chimpanzees! However, secrets, old and new, haunt Bhuvan. A ghostly woman promises to bring his dead mother back to life only if he pledges to assist her in her pursuits.