Don’t look. Don’t ask. Don’t get involved.

This was once Inkwell Featherfield’s way of life. It was simple. Straightforward. Easy to remember. Too bad he botched it so spectacularly. And now, despite his best efforts to escape his troubles, things are even worse.

The Wickwire Watch is showing him visions—though not about the missing parents he seeks. The powerful Lady Seherene is now an ally but demands a steep price for it. The Colonists have welcomed him into their family...which might be nice if they weren’t hunted fugitives in constant mortal danger.

Worse still, his grandfather is back from the dead and demanding that Ink help put a stop to Caradoc, the Keyholder attempting to gain control of the ghostly Spektors. Allegedly. Trouble is, he’s also the one person able to keep Ink safe from them. If only the man wasn’t so secretive. It would make life so much easier.

Above all else, Inkwell and the Colonists are in desperate need of answers. The pursuit will lead them through grand halls and trap-riddled trenches to a secret ceremony and a private city high in the frozen mountains. Ink’s eyes are opened to things more beautiful and terrible than he ever could have dreamed. It’s enough to wish he’d kept them shut.

The Spider Key is the second book of the epic fantasy series The Riverfall Chronicles. For more information, visit jacquelynhagen.com.