Within the walls of a centuries-old building lies the magical Library of Illumination where books literally come to life. What makes this library even more unusual are the two teenagers chosen to oversee its operation. Johanna Charette and Jackson Roth must use their wits to deal with the sometimes humorous, sometimes dangerous situations that arise when enchanted books spring to life. As the teens learn about the library, themselves, and each other, their fates become intertwined, and when they stumble upon a scheme by someone in a distant realm to take control of all knowledge in the universe, Johanna and Jackson are forced to put their lives on the line to battle an ancient foe.

Within the walls of a centuries-old building lies the magical Library of Illumination, a place where books literally come to life. 17-year-old Johanna Charette is the youngest curator ever chosen to oversee the day-to-day operation of the library and she knows, in case of trouble, having an assistant can be invaluable, so she hires 16-year-old Jackson Roth to give her a hand. Jackson gets off to a rocky start, but manages to prove his mettle. Besides, he's kind of cute and a lot of fun. Johanna is charming and brilliant-and a natural born leader. She keeps the library operating on an even keel. Jackson is clever and intrepid. He relies on his wits to keep them out of danger when trouble arises. Unfortunately, his derring-do is one of the reasons why they sometimes find themselves in awkward situations. So it shouldn't be any surprise when his wanton curiosity sparks a journey to a distant realm, where they end up with front row seats in a battle against an ancient foe.

In the enchanted Library of Illumination-where books literally come to life-curator Johanna Charette and her assistant Jackson Roth discover a window to "nowhere." Jackson is convinced some sort of treasure is hidden behind it. Instead, the teens stumble upon a portal that whisks them to a library, similar to their own, yet very different. Their impromptu breach of the ancient portal system sets a series of events in motion that take the teens to distant realms, and they learn a wealth of information about the history of the Libraries of Illumination. However, Jackson's natural curiosity results in severe repercussions for Johanna, after she is forced to a destroy a precious artifact when Jackson is taken prisoner by an unfriendly being. She's sentenced to serve time on that hostile world, and uncovers a scheme to take control of all knowledge in the universe. In the blink of an eye, the teens find they must put their lives on the line-in a battle against an ancient foe.

Victoria Melies is one of the most beautiful women living in postwar Europe. She lives a life of privilege, and few people suspect that she works as a spy for MI6 under the code name: Evangeline. On her way to the Nuremburg Trials, an assassin's bullet finds her before she can testify. She's immediately transported to the Pearly Gates where Saint Peter insists on calling her by her code name and assigns her to an eternity in Purgatory. But that just won't do for the elegant operative, who demands that she be allowed to avenge her untimely death. Evangeline soon finds herself in New York City, where she is incensed to see her old nemesis, Bunny Stanton, is alive and kicking and masquerading as a British peer. The spectral spy believes Bunny is involved in a plot to assassinate Harry S. Truman and tries to protect the American president. However, Evangeline quickly discovers being a ghost has its limitations, and an afterlife handbook filled with regulations could land Evangeline on the road to hell because of her good intentions.