Twelve-year-old Hazel Hooper has spent her whole life trapped in a magical Glade created by her mother, Hecate. She's desperate to meet new people and find out about the world. And, more than anything, she wants to be a witch. But when her mother is kidnapped by a demon, suddenly Hazel is alone in the world. Well . . . not quite alone. For it turns out that Hazel does have magic--she's just not very good at controlling it. And she may have accidentally created a grumpy familiar in the form of a dormouse called Bramley. The young witch and her mouse set out to track down the demon and find Hecate. However, it turns out that life outside the Glade is dangerous. Witch Hunters are everywhere--and the witches are using demons to fight back! Luckily for Hazel, she manages to enlist the help of expert demon hunters--and witch finders.