Something darker than a moonless night has emerged from the shadows to terrorize the Lands of the Painted Post, and a king and his master must face this threat. "So you want to be a coon hunter?" Nathan asked gruffly. "Y-y-yes, sir, I do!" Jason stuttered. Nathan nodded. "Be at my house tomorrow night around sunset. Your parents know where I live. Wear some good boots and a warm coat-Painted Post won't care how cold you get." Thus begins twelve-year-old Jason Canton's tutelage under the guidance of Nathan Ernst, with his legendary coonhound Seth and somewhat eccentric Uncle Arthur. Jason and his close friends, Bobby and Tara, soon learn the ways of the woods and life, following the call of the hounds in the darkened forests. But something powerful and not entirely of this world has brought malice to the woods of the rural Upstate New York town of Painted Post. This cunning menace will test the skills and courage of Nathan, Jason, and his friends. They must rely on one another to face this threat. They will need the strength of the bond between hunter and dog. They will require an exceptional hound.