Twelve-year-old Joe Clovelly leads a difficult life. His mother is widowed and an outcast in the village where he lives. His sister is deaf and mute, and he is frequently bullied at school. Then one night everything changes. He is visited by two spirits called 'Watchers'. The Watchers, Frieda and Ulf, tell Joe that he has been chosen to become the Guardian of The Valley and save it from the 'Darkness'. At first, Joe does not take this seriously, after all The Valley is a quiet and peaceful place, where everyone lives a simple and godly life. Nothing exciting or dangerous ever happens in The Valley. Things begin to change with the appearance of the Watchers. At first, it is fun. Having two invisible friends with magic powers seems a good thing. Then the Darkness the Watchers predicted is let loose. An evil from ancient times that feeds on the souls of others, strikes terror into the hearts of all who live in The Valley. No one, least of all Joe could possibly have imagined the brutally bloody way in which the Darkness would claim its victims, or the grotesque methods of torturing the mind it would conjure up. The peace of the Valley is no more. People are dying horrifically. Blame is cast upon Joe's mother, decried for being a witch. Joe must now step into his own power, that of Guardian of the Valley. He must find the courage to not only stand up against the bullies and prejudice in his life, but the overwhelming terror that is the Darkness. If he fails, then all in the Valley will perish and their souls, including his, will be in torment for eternity.