Unsure of how he escaped the prison known as Ivanov's Home for Orphaned Boys, Fritz finds himself the newest apprentice in the most powerful Wizard consortium, The Order. After uncovering clues to a decade-old murder, Fritz becomes the unwitting target of someone who wants him dead. To keep him from solving the mystery, they're willing to kill anyone-including Fritz's friends and family.

Now Fritz is in a race against time to unravel the clues and unmask the murderer before the next kill. If he has any hopes of surviving, Fritz must unify his fellow group of dysfunctional apprentices and confront the most deadly enemy he's ever known.

Drosselmeyer: Curse of the Rat King is book one of the action-packed Nutcracker Trilogy chronicling Drosselmeyer's rise to power and setting up the events in the Nutcracker Ballet.