Every child of the lower branches knows the rules for Mist Storms:

STAY TOGETHER.
DON'T TRUST YOUR OWN MIND.

Millenia ago, the world was covered by a corrupting mist. The remnants of civilization survive on the branches of the mountain-sized Eternal Tree, relying on the Thornguard to fend off monsters and maintain the wards. But not even the Thornguard can protect the Tree from the Mist Storms that wrack the lower branchess… and the Mist is rising.

Reg Burlbush herds goats on the dangerous lower branches, where the grazing is best. He is no stranger to predators or Mist Storms, defending his goats with the help of his herding spider, Ankie. He dreams of winning the yearly herding trials and saving up enough to buy a fine metal pot. Instead, Reg finds himself pulled into the world of the Thornguard: a world where his talents might help save the Tree—or his mistakes might doom them all.