Art has always been an escape for Lewis Dixon. But no one has ever praised his work, so he is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. Lewis soon learns he has not been invited to participate in a curated show, but rather a test: to see if the exhilaration he experiences when painting is actually magic, a power that allows him to enter nine very special paintings made by his great-grandfather. Spread across the globe, these paintings have unbelievable eldritch abilities, and there are those out there who would do anything to possess just one. And Lewis, upon passing the test, has been asked to destroy them all. Partnered with the alluring agent, Noah Rao, Lewis must travel to Japan, Australia, Nigeria --- and the past --- to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own --- or to free the world from those who would misuse the power of the paintings.