It'll take a village for Rasp Stoneclaw to escape the curse he's been running from since birth in the clever second installment of this epic fantasy series.

In the aftermath of runaway heir Rasp Stoneclaw's foiled attempts to escape the curse threatening to destroy his people, he's stuck under a mountain with Oralia Dawnsight, Protector of the Realm. So in other words, everything's going great.

Oralia's plan to install the cursed Stoneclaw as the new leader of the Iron Ridge is, needless to say, in tatters. But Rasp has discovered something he didn't expect: while he may have been the one to awaken the curse in the first place, he also just might have what it takes to defeat it-provided the appeal of running away doesn't win out.

Meanwhile, emissary and extremely unsuccessful witch hunter Daana Lazuli is in mourning for her partner, Willem, who gifted her his mysterious magic before his death. And that very magic may be the key to saving Rasp, if only they can convince Oralia to put their needs ahead of the realm's . . .