Mr Norrell travels to London from Yorkshire to offer the government his services as a magician. Sir Walter Pole though refuses to align himself with such a disrespectable art as magic. After Sir Walter's sickly fiancée passes away, Mr Norrell makes a dangerous pact with a mysterious Gentleman to restore her to life. Jonathan Strange discovers that he also has magical powers.

Mr Norrell's magical illusions manage to baffle the French Navy and secure him the loyalty of Sir Walter Pole. Some magic he has used to revive Lady Pole has released something unnatural into Sir Walter's home. Jonathan Strange's magical ability increases and he travels to London take up an apprenticeship with Mr Norrell.

Jonathan Strange travels to Spain where he learns that Lord Wellington does not want to use of him until he summons ancient and troubling magic to fight the Napoleonic armies. Mr Norrell is attempting to keep his secrets hidden in London.

Strange begins to develop an increasing fascination with the magic of the Raven King and it manages to create a wedge between him and Norrell, who is determined to stop him resurrecting the dark powers of ancient times.

Strange returns home a hero after helping to win the Battle of Waterloo, and resolves to write a book on ancient magic - to Norrell's horror. Strange's hopes for the future are shattered by a tragedy in his life, and following a confrontation with Norrell, he flees the country, determined to learn the truth about the fairy world - even if doing so costs him his sanity.

Strange is determined to learn the secrets of fairy magic so he can restore Arabella. Believing madness is the key to accessing the fairy world, he seeks a way to drive himself insane. However, the Gentleman does not take kindly to the intrusion into his realm, and unleashes a terrible curse to stop him. Norrell's determination to maintain control of all magic in England costs him dearly when the government turns against him, and Vinculus offers Stephen a means to escape from the Gentleman's clutches.

England is in complete chaos as magic returns. Mr Norrell takes shelter in his library and Strange confronts him, determined to defeat the Gentleman and free Arabella before the Faerie curse causes his passing. Childermass attempts to undo the magic that keeps Lady Pole under the Gentleman's power whilst Stephen becomes drawn ever deeper into the Gentleman's web.