When Soren the Barn Owl is taken from his tranquil kingdom of Tyto, he and his friend Gylfie escape and, along the way, meet two other Barn Owls, Twilight and Digger. The four owls band together to seek the truth and protect the owl world from unimaginable danger.

Enraged by his clash with Soren and driven by and all-consuming desire for power, Kludd and his group, the Pure Ones, launch an attack upon the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. The noble owls who live there must fight fiercely to protect their resources and defend their honor.

Even though Soren was kidnapped and taken to the St. Aegolius School for Orphaned Owls, he has longed to see his sister, Eglantine, again. Now Eglantine is back in Soren's life, but she's been through an ordeal too terrible for words. Ezylryb, Soren's mentor, has disappeared. To rescue him, Soren must embark upon a perilous quest.