Life in the Inkworld has been far from easy since the extraordinary events of Inkspell, when the story of Inkheart magically drew Meggie, Mo and Dustfinger back into its pages. With Dustfinger dead, and the evil Adderhead now in control, the story in which they are all caught has taken an unhappy turn. Even Elinor, left alone in the real world, believes her family to be lost - lost between the covers of a book. But as winter comes on there is reason to hope - if only Meggie and Mo can rewrite the wrongs of the past and make a dangerous pact with death.