Lennon Carter's life is falling apart. Until she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to sit the entrance exam for somewhere few have heard of - Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon doesn't know it yet, but she is special. She possesses the innate gift of persuasion: the ability to wield her will like a weapon, controlling others, and even matter itself. But this is a devastating power than Lennon must learn how to master. While persuasion takes a heavy toll on her body and her mind, she is captivated by all that surrounds her - her studies, Drayton's lush campus and, most of all, Dante - the charismatic adviser who both intimidates and enamours her. But the longer that Lennon spends at Drayton, learning to wield her uncanny abilities, the more she uncovers about Drayton's unsettling history, and Dante's tragic and violent past. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption and darkness . . . and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail.