At thirteen, Lavender Jensen is headstrong and determined, bored and reckless, until one day she crosses the line ... In the arcane Kumakana forest, where one wrong move means certain death, Lavender Jensen's sudden appearance sparks tensions between two clans of cunning, voracious predators, and the enigmatic guardians of the Natural Order--the Gronups. She meets Jerramunga, a buoyant, laconic, Aboriginal youth, a complete stranger, whose actions draw her into a series of encounters that test her beliefs and bring the powers of her imagination to the fore. As a life and death struggle unfolds, the pair discover ancient lore, inner strengths and hidden talents and their involvement becomes the key to the future of the mysterious world within the forest. And, perhaps, the world outside.