Tangled Power Summary

The summary below contains spoilers for Compass Points and Tangled Power. It is intended for those who have already read the books but want a refresher before starting Bound Paths.

With Aiden exposed as unfit to fulfill the role of Norden Point, Rose claims her rightful seat. Few know the true reason Aiden can’t perform the Norden rituals—the Suden god, Aterra, has been inhabiting his body. With the belated help of the elder who abandoned her as a child, Rose claims the Norden Seat. She has no time to enjoy the victory as she and Luc immediately fill the other Compass Points in on the scale of the problems the continent is facing.

            Aurora, the Norden goddess, is being held captive by Aterra. Aterra is interfering heavily with the Compass Points, and they fear that’s not his only sin. Zrak, the Lost God, may not be as lost as they think—his Nebulus, or mist creatures—are responsible for the sleeping plague sweeping the continent.

            The Compass Points were created to hold a god in check, and Aterra’s actions prove he needs to be held. Though the Compass Points have never tested the power, they know it exists, so they chase Aterra with Rose’s magic compass.

            Arie, previously thinking Zrak was gone for good, separates from the group to see if he can learn where the Lost God is and how he’s controlling the mist. Before he leaves, he and Rose collect an artifact the Vesten god had left on the continent, one he hopes will allow Rose to learn Vesten magic well enough to make Carter a weapon while they’re away from the source of magic at Compass Lake.

            The Compass Points’ trip leads them south. A village taken by the mist plague in the night exposes another Osten secret—they can hear secrets on the wind. Rose begins training with Juliette to learn more about her own wind magic—enough to also make the Osten Point a magical weapon while they travel.

            Following the Compass, the fae leaders arrive in Loch, a village with a huge hole in the center of their town square. Everyone but Rose knows the history of this hole. It was the original mark of Luc’s power. As a child, Luc had inadvertently created the hole when bullying went awry. As Rose learns more about the fae she’s begun to care for so deeply, she decides this is a way to test the unified magic of the Compass Points.

            In Loch, Rose also gives Carter the Vesten artifact. She can’t make it work to learn about the Vesten magic, but giving it to Carter builds trust. Carter lets Rose make him a weapon and evaluate his power.

            The Compass Points struggle but ultimately close the hole in Loch. Rose finds internal connections in her magic to each of the other Compass Points and pulls their power through hers.

            Their victory is short-lived when they finally confront Aiden and Aterra. The Compass Points try again to connect their magic as they had in Loch, but they cannot hold the god. Luc holds Aterra’s escape route closed momentarily on his own, leaving everyone wondering about the true scope of Luc’s power.

            The group travels to Sandrin to further research the history of the Compass Points, and the nature of their combined magic. On their way, Juliette confronts Zrak’s Nebulus as they are about to spread the mist plague further. She performs part of a ritual, stopping their attack. Rose learns that Juliette has had to sustain the power of the Osten fae through blood magic while Zrak has been “lost.” Luc also learns that Carter can see spirits, and they seem to be very active when the mist plague is present.

            The Compass Points read journals of the first Vesten Point that speak of the power they are meant to combine. Rose realizes they must each activate their element individually to unlock the united magic. The Compass Points start testing, and Arie returns.

            He’s learned what the Compass Points also suspect—Zrak is beyond the veil. They also believe they know Aterra’s plan. He wants to steal power from Luc, to further bolster his own, using the same ritual Zrak and the Osten Point do.

            Carter and Arie test the ritual, proving that any Compass Point and their patron can share power. Ultimately, it requires a few things: the god’s artifact, the Compass Point’s will, their blood, and a place of great magic.

            Luc believes he is Aterra’s son—that their blood is already shared. Aterra has the Suden ring, and the mind shadow it can produce gives the momentary ability to rewrite memories or overwrite a person’s will. Understanding Aterra’s plan, they return to where he’s been hiding all this time, the place he’s kept Aurora—in a mountain cavern beneath the Lake of the Gods.

            The Compass Points, Arie, Aurora, battle Aterra below Mount Bury. The wild magic boosts Aterra’s power. Aiden ultimately tries to help the Compass Points but falls in the battle.

            Rose holds Aterra using the combined power of the Compass Points, but they have nowhere to put him. Luc, using the sword Rose made for him, the amplification of the Suden ring, and his legendary earth magic—cuts a hole between realms and throws himself and Aterra into it—taking them both beyond the veil.

            Before Luc leaves, he tells Arie that he and Rose are bound. Bound fae are incredibly rare relationships, connecting deeply through their magic. Rose is yet unaware but hears Luc’s voice even after he leaps beyond the veil.