When a seemingly invulnerable clay golem begins making random attacks on London, Nathaniel and Bartimaeus must travel to Prague to discover the source of its power Meanwhile Kitty and the Resistance attempt their most audacious plot yet…robbing the beloved magician Gladstone's tomb in Westminster Abbey. London is now in an uproar; the golem is still loose and the released djinni is wreaking havoc. Returning from Prague, Bartimaeus is sent to deal with the djinni, while Nathaniel attempts to capture Kitty and retrieve the staff.

In the ensuing chaos, listeners will chase a dancing skeleton across London's skyline, encounter the horror of the Night Police, witness a daring kidnapping, enter the Machiavellian world of the magician's government, and find Kitty and Bartimaeus coming to an understanding.