When Martin Fields is nine years old, he and his father bury a special box beneath the old oak tree in their backyard. The Latin inscription on the box reads Stultum est timere, quod vitare non potes. His father explains that these words have great significance - it is foolish to fear what you cannot avoid, but says little else before he dies in a tragic car accident which leaves Martin paralysed. Some time later Martin decides to open the box. Inside, he finds a key and a note with the word Tantalis on it. He and his best friend Dominika investigate and are transported to a world of trolls, faeries, dragons, and the evil creatures known as The Inkwish. Once there, Martin learns that the creatures of Tantalis are in trouble. His loyalty is torn between Dominika and Queen Fara who recognises Martin as someone Tantalis has been expecting for a long time. He faces threats from Diablo, the leader of the Inkwish, who brings Tantalis, a land that has not seen conflict for aeons, to the point of war, and in the process discovers the truth of dragon flight, previously unknown to Man. He learns that ancient legends on Earth might not simply be stories told through the generations, but in fact a reality that reaches out to demand the utmost of him....and bring him to the brink of death. The Key to Tantalis is a gripping read in the true tradition of the Narnia genre.