A flu outbreak has forced a keystone species of woodpeckers into extinction. The sudden loss of the Imperials has created panic and instability in the region. The surviving families take whatever precautions they must to survive, including a population of great horned owls forced to abandon their traditional nesting sites inside the now-contaminated Imperial Forest.

With the nesting season fast approaching, the owls attack the ravens of Nevermore and seize their nests. Maven, a juvenile raven, escapes death, only to be separated from his family. With nowhere to go, he sets out on a desperate search to find any surviving Imperials, hoping it will end the war and reunite his family.

Maven is assisted by a scarlet macaw, named Perce, who claims to know the location of an Imperial. Perce convinces Maven to join him on his journey, and together they fight off hungry vultures, travel across inhospitable lands, and escape capture until they arrive at Turtle Island—Perce’s remote tropical home. The island is inhabited by a tribe of warrior macaws who await the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy—one that Maven ultimately realizes centers on him.

The Search for the Last Imperial is the first in a series of fantasy novels that uses various species of birds as main characters. The story explores universal themes of self-discovery, survival, and deception, as well as spiritual themes of identity, grace, and hope.