The series of books are centred on Charlie Bone, a young boy and descendant of The Red King, who reluctantly possesses a powerful endowment, along with many of his friends who he meets at a special school he attends called Bloor's Academy. His family, the Yewbeams, have many dark secrets and Charlie Bone embarks on a series of mysterious adventures to find out the truth about his past.

January 1916. On the coldest night in memory, Henry Yewbeam's cousin Zeke tricks him into using the Time Twister, a beautiful marble full of shining colours that draws him into the future. So he shows up in Bloor's in 2002 and Charlie tries to hide him and get him home.