A captivating tale of danger, mystery and magic that begins ten years after Jack and the Beanstalk.

Jack says magic is illegal and dangerous but he won't say why. Nobody will. Twelve-year-old Zelie knows that something happened long ago behind the twisted fence that changed everything but she's not allowed to know what or why. There are rumours of course: of giants, witches, and other made up things. But magic is real enough. Even Jack uses it sometimes. It can't be that bad, can it?

Zelie can't tolerate the secrets any longer and decides to peek behind the twisted fence. In her quest for answers, she finds some magic beans just like Jack's, and a strange wand that only responds to unselfish spells. Exploring the lighter side of magic, she meets three gnomes who know the truth, and a boy called Sawyer who would rather believe the lies. Zelie becomes more and more daring and experimental with magic until people start getting hurt—including Jack—and the real evil is revealed. She realises too late that the rumours were true. And now her curiosity has put the whole village in danger. Chopping down a beanstalk won't be enough this time. But how can a 12-year-old girl possibly battle an evil she has only just discovered?