Tom Trueheart wants to be an adventurer like his six older brothers. They're all employed by the Story Bureau to take the lead in any number of thrilling tales - tales which mean they have to rescue red-hooded young ladies or climb outlandishly large beanstalks. Each story is started off by the Story Bureau and it's up to the adventurer to make of the story what he will. But this time something's gone wrong - none of the stories are being finished and none of the Trueheart brothers have returned home. Now Tom will get his chance to be a hero - he must set off to the Land of Stories and find out what has happened to his brothers and bring them back.