Fifteen-year-old Ivan never expected to be targeted for death when he went on a quest to find his older brother who was spotted in the infamous West Forest. Only an hour from his farm home, Ivan travels there, but his mission is interrupted with a plea to save the life of an ancient Kingwood Oak by retrieving a magical tree sap. Sebastian, a kindly spirit imbued in the Long Dark Cloak, becomes Ivan's guide through a myriad of strange and mythical creatures that hinder their progress. When war is declared in the forest, Ivan finds himself a reluctant hero fighting to save the forest, his brother, and his own life.