Travis Olsen doesn't believe in fairy tales. When his mother warns him to be careful of the black dog that haunts the Quantock Hills, he brushes her off. Even after he meets the black dog, he's convinced the animal is just a stray and not a ghost of any kind. But when the legendary black dog turns into a man who gives a dire warning, Travis has no choice but to admit it's possible that all the old stories about the woodland are true. In order to save his mother's life from a powerful witch, Travis plunges into a world of curses and magic, pukas and fairies, and one figure stands at the center of it all. John Walford, a cursed soul who will sacrifice anything if only Travis could return his love.