Cornelia Funke

Inkdeath is a darker book than Inkheart and Inkspell. This third book and trilogy finale shifts its focus away from magic and adventure and into something more sinister. There are more villains than ever before in the Inkworld and allies are less stalwart. While the magic of Inkheart leads me to love the trilogy, it is Inkdeath that engrossed me the most.

There is not so much action in Inkdeath as there are high stakes. Of particular interest to me is Mortimer’s transformation. I saw the show more Inkheart film long before I read any of the books, and Mo will forever be Brendan Fraser in my mind. Watching the way that character evolves to fill the role needed of him in the Inkworld is fascinating and a bit heartbreaking (which makes it that much easier to relate to Meggie and Reesa). Between besting cruel rulers and saving children and having a meeting with Death, there is so much going on in Inkdeath to appeal to any reader, but it’s Mo’s descent that shines most in this novel. I have no idea if this was Funke’s intent or just my personal interpretation, but I really like it.

To be sure, this book has its flaws. It’s far too long and feels like it ambles along sometimes. Where there are so many ticking clocks and things at stake, Inkdeath‘s leisurely pace frustrated me as a reader. While Funke is not a particularly urgent writer, the pacing of the book was further agitated by the multiple POVs. Inkdeath has five main POVs – Mo, Reesa, Meggie, Fengolia, and Orpheus. Meggie and Mo still hold the spotlight, but that is an awful lot of voices. There are also characters that have one or two POV chapters, such as Elinor, Dustfinger, and Farid. From a writer’s perspective, I really enjoy telling the story from the voice of the character who is in the right place at the right time. From a reader’s perspective, it’s a bit much. I personally didn’t get the voices tangled, but by this time I’m well familiar with each of the characters and found their individual internal monologues easy to navigate. Others may not be so fortunate.

The Inkworld remains as vivid and interesting as ever. One cannot help but to side with Fengolio a bit in this one, despite his cantankerous nature – he created an incredible world and Orpheus’ machinations cheapen the magic a bit. There’s also a new setting conjured by Fengolio that I just… didn’t buy. The blue faeries and the Fire-Dancers and the Black Prince and his Bear – all the elements from the original story before humans entered the world and began mucking about – remains as wonderful as ever.

As much as it pains me to admit this, there are characters I really enjoyed in Inkheart and Inkspell that just don’t seem to have a purpose. Farid and Meggie are left mostly to following in their heroes’ shadows and being angsty. Elinor is absolutely one of my favorite characters, and I am begrudgingly forced to admit she doesn’t add much. In fact, Elinor has never been much more than a means-to-an-end to move the story along in places, which is a shame before I adore her. Orpheus, our villain, is so cartoonishly bad that he reminds me of the Bowler Hat Guy from Disney’s Meet the Robinsons. His physical description is nothing like the character, but it’s the only way I can picture him. The characters are all fun and interesting, but they just don’t bring as much to the story as I wanted.

One of the magical things about Inkdeath was that I spent so much time worrying after Mo or for the poor glass men who were constantly abused by Fengolio and Orpheus that I didn’t think of all these things that bothered me until hours after I finished the book. The main premise of the Inkworld trilogy revolves around a man who reads worlds from books and makes them come to life. That same breathless magic is in Inkdeath as vibrantly it is the rest of the trilogy. You dive in, and you are immediately caught up in the world around you. It’s so easy to forget about life for a while.

For all the qualms I have about the trilogy – whether it be translation or fact, but wouldn’t it be amazing to read them in their original German?- I still think that this collection is one of the most creative stories I’ve ever read and I adore the story they tell. I very much recommend it to readers of all ages. show less

For me Inkdeath was my favorite of the three. The battle between the writers (Orpheus and Fenoglio) and the readers (Orpheus, Meggie and Mo) is fuel to a great story. Orpheus in all his arrogance thinks himself the master puppeteer in the every growing and changing story. Funke writes great characters you love (Dustfinger, Meggie, Mo, Resa, The Black Prince) and truly hate (Adder, The Piper and Orpheus). The adventure is continues from start to finish. Every time it seems good will prevail, show more something happens to set them back. Fenoglio finally realizes, although he created the story in Inkheart, the story is taking control of itself and the characters within are creating a new path for themselves each day. I enjoyed the development of Meggie's relationship with Doria as Farid continued to drift further away. The development of Mo as the Bluejay and his new bond with the Fire-eater is exciting. Together they seek out a means to reverse Mo and Meggie's mistake of creating an immortal character in The Adderhead. It was a nice read to also see the great strength in many of the females in the book. I like that Violente played a key role as she works to challenge her father and the other men who are attempting to control the lives of so many in the book, A great ending to an exciting series. I recommend this unique story for a variety of ages. show less

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: The fourth adventure through the Mirror leads to the Far East, where Jacob and Fox finally track down Will, who is travelling with rival hunter Nerron. In spite of his misgivings, Jacob agrees to go with them to the Island of the Foxes, in quest of another magical Mirror.

But their search quickly leads them into more peril, and as Jacob seeks security for himself and Fox, he is reminded of a disturbing promise he once made that now threatens show more everything.

Full of fairy tales and legends, old friends and new enemies, The Silver Tracks is the long-awaited fourth volume in the thrilling Reckless series.

The thrilling fourth instalment in Cornelia Funke's internationally bestselling Reckless series.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: We've learned a lot about Mirrorworld's different parts, right? Wrong! We're still in the ongoing-discovery phase of the series here, in book four, where we're heading to Mirrorworld's version of Japan called (unsurprisingly) Nihon. Our book three antagonist is back with a vengeance, and Will...Jacob's brother (about whom there is quite a surprising hidden fact) and the object of many a quest on Jacob's part...now needs to find him in order to make the curse that's turning his belovèd into wood release its hold. Naturally the antagonist is the only one who can accomplish this as he's the one who created Will's beloved.

No matter how much of the plot I tell you, it won't make one bit of difference. You're reading this review, so are in the mood for fall fantasy reading, so you would do well to get this series (though start with #1 or be *terminally* confused!) of YA dark fantasy novels.

Now, the opinions part. This book's very, very complicated and made more than necessarily so by the technique of using multiple narrative PoVs for even the most minor of characters. This can work beautifully if the reader's in full binge mode; readers like me, who take months to read long, complicated fantasy books, really don't see the benefit of it. I'm reasonably sure that Jacob is the best dark-fantasy protagonist who grows into adulthood in any series I've read, bar none.

He and Fox are becoming parents and discovering the deep, dark secret of being a parent that no one ever tells young people (the child you make together is superglued to your souls, both of you, from the instant it is part of your lives and makes every decision you make more complicated) in the roughest possible way. The stakes in this series entry do not get higher. The number of characters we're following is sizable, deeply intertwined, and morally malleable. Everyone learns they can do things they never considered they would when motivated powerfully enough. The adversary in the story, Spieler, suddenly apeared in the last book and is front and center throughout the action in this book. He did not grow on me the more I saw of him. A horrible person indeed, responsible for Jacob's father's unforgivable behavior. Responsible for entrapping Jacob's brother, Will. Generally an all-arounder in the cruel, abusive, manipulative villain sweepstakes.

*happy sigh*

Perfect for dark fantasy series use. I confess, however, that I'd've liked to see how he got so enmeshed with the Reckless clan as a whole earlier in the series...unless I just passed right by the hints that were dropped about how Will and Jacob's mother lit this particular fuse. The ways in which John Reckless, father of this brotherly dyad, comes off in a different light as the past is slowly revealed, is especially well-done.

I was more put off by the welter of voices as the read progressed. I am not in any way trying to unsell you on the reads! You should know in advance what's coming your way...be prepared when this read comes up to the top of your TBR that concentration is needed to get the full gestalt of the story's locations and narratives. There are many interesting voices: samurai, a centaur, a nine-tailed fox (Japan being an island of fox spirits), some ghosts, a child-eating witch, shapeshifters and even some old friends from the earlier stories.

In addition to Japan and its folklorians, we have our first gay character in Hideo. Based on auguries I'd expect some more time will be spent with him in the future book five. Which isn't out yet. Nor is it even announced by Pushkin Press...this bodes ill for my sanity. show less

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Jacob Reckless continues to travel the portal in his father's abandoned study. His name has continued to be famous on the other side of the mirror, as a finder of enchanted items and buried secrets. His family and friends, from his brother, Will to the shape-shifting vixen, Fox, are on a collision course as the two worlds become connected. Who is driving these two worlds together and why is he always a step ahead?

This new force isn’t limiting its show more influence to just Jacob’s efforts – it has broadened the horizon within MirrorWorld. Jacob, Will and Fox travel east and into the Russian folklore, to the land of the Baba Yaga, pursued by a new type of being that knows our world all to well.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Jacob Reckless, our series protagonist, comes face-to-face with the hardest of adult problems in this entry into the ongoing series of fantasy Young Adult novels: "Why were love and death such close neighbours."

It's always bothered me that love poetry and love songs so frequently conflate love and death. This story, in which Jacob meets his vanished father after more than a decade of aging and growing and becoming his the man who can be a father as well as his brother Will's savior, very much focuses on this seeming dichotomy. Jacob must do what a lot of sonse must do: Come at last to understand the nature of love for a parent when the parent isn't who one wished them to be. Love and death...always sides of a coin, sometimes without much thickness between them so one side's pattern shows on the other side.

How much love costs is another thing Jacob must face in this book. He travels to a farther eastern part of Mirrorworld where we meet Slavic folklorians like rusalkas and, of course, Baba Yaga. Can not pass up a chance to call out the world-building that Funke treats us to in this series...we've had fae and (gar)goyls and sorcerous beings galore, now we get flying carpets and golems! There is so much lovely writing in the translation that evokes the differences in all the peoples of Mirrorworld that it's worth the price of admission just to be brought on Jacob's journey. Notably, as this is marketed as a young adult title, the publisher's treated us again to some lovely, evocative illustrations; again, worth the price of admission to get them before your admiring eyes.

More than all the fantasy novels aimed at adults that I've read, this series (to date) has done the most to convince me that there is a glorious amount of Story that's best told by means of fantasy tropes. There's nothing important that I don't care for in this German translation (misspellings à la anglais irk me, but not enough to knock points off for...especially from a British publishing house).

Why I'm only at four and a half stars not the full five is simply that the adversary in this tale pops up and has no reason to that I could follow. It's not awful; it's just that we've got such a fabulous set-up for this title in this quote: "The Golden Yarn...or the inseverable bond, as it is also called. As inseverable as the threads of fate," which gets vitiated by the up-popping adversary. "The threads of fate" are unquestionably the most relevant organizing pinciples here. Then, Author Funke, ensnare *everyone* in them from the get-go.

Really, there's nothing more to this than my nagging sense of "fair play" brought over from the series-mystery reading world. What works works so well that I want to be fair about your possible complaints. In dealing with Jacob's latest foray into Mirrorworld and confronting deeply ugly realities of his father, and brother, having flaws, Author Funke never once drops the thread that binds families of all sorts together.

Minor whinges be damned. The series works, and keeps working. show less