It is the dawn of a new world. Henry Tudor has defeated Richard III and claimed the throne of England, obtaining a secret map in his possession. In the dazzling court of the Medici in Florence, Lorenzo the Magnificent, ruler of the republic and head of the secret Academy, is engaged in a dangerous power game with the Vatican. In Spain, the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, have declared a crusade against Islam, forcing the Moors to abandon Granada. Europe stands on the brink of war, on the edge of a discovery that will change everything.

Jack Wynter holds onto the fragments of the life he dreamed of living, as the execution of his father by Richard III destroys his hope of rising above his status as an illegitimate son. The map entrusted to him by his father is lost, stolen by his hated half-brother, Harry Vaughan. Under Tudor's ban, all Jack can do is follow his father's last words - and seek the man who has the answers to his past that will determine his future, Lorenzo de’ Medici. But in the adventurous politics and Renaissance grandeur of Florence, he finds only danger. Lorenzo may have trusted Jack's father, but he is now surrounded by threats and conspiracies from all sides - not least from the emerging power in the city known as the Court of Wolves.

Meanwhile, Harry heads to the Spanish court on a secret mission for Tudor, who intends to capture Queen Isabella's interest in developing a trade route to the west with a sailor named Columbus. Once again, Jack must risk everything to prove himself, while his sworn enemy, Harry, finds himself struggling in Spain, constantly trying to gain Tudor's trust and undermine his brother.