In the third book in the XANTH series, Bink and Chameleon's son, Magician Dor, the heir apparent to the throne of Xanth, is now 12 years old. He is somewhat lonely, as people dislike his magical talent; his ability to cause inanimate objects to speak means that no one's secrets are safe. To encourage the boy to interact with others, and to assess his fitness for the throne, King Trent sends Dor back in time 800 years. His mission is to procure a potion that will restore humanity to the zombie that is his governess Millie's true love. As is usual for all Xanth books, any tragedy or conflict that occurs in the book is heavily leavened with a large dose of humor and ample use of puns.