A collection of sixteen stories including "The Plague of Peacocks," "Aunt Bea's Day Out," "The Fat Wizard," "No One," and "Everard's Ride."

After the Goon moves into the Sykes' house and refuses to budge, thirteen-year-old Howard learns some startling information about his family, including the fact that he is adopted and that his father is connected with the seven wizards who run the town.

Four separate incidents test the power of the Chrestomanci, a powerful enchanter with nine lives, to control misuses of magic on various worlds.