After accidentally breaking trollish law, Gwenyre faces a horribly unfair sentence: a lifetime of indentured servitude at the prison estate Gatehouse. The estate is run by troll wardens - the most fearsome of which, Sylvan, seems to have it out for the little elf. Though she is determined to get back to her family and leave Gatehouse forever, Gwenyre soon finds things to love about the prison as it becomes home: best friends, mentors, and even a romantic interest in the human Lord Sampson.