Inkspell - Cornelia Funke

A year after the events of Inkheart, the characters are still reeling from the effect this book had on their lives. Dustfinger, still desperate to return to the Inkworld, meets Orpheus, a somewhat shifty character also possessing the magical ability to read characters to life. Leaving behind the marten responsible for his future fictional demise, Dustfinger finally returns home, only to find the world much changed in his absence. His apprentice Farid, distraught at being abandoned in the real world, seeks out Meggie and a way into the Inkworld. Soon Meggie and her parents all find themselves trapped in the Inkworld, and a story that seems to ignore its own author, Fenoglio, changing in ways none of them could have predicted.

A complaint I heard regularly from Inkheart readers (and their parents), was that the story was too simple and not involved enough; the characters a little shallow. Inkspell should diffuse much of this criticism. The story becomes far more involved and complex, introducing a vast array of new characters with different agendas. The main characters are all developed more, with Dustfinger and Mo becoming more interesting by the page, almost becoming shadows of each other. Even by the end of this book though, I still could not bring myself to care a great deal about Meggie, which is a shame, but is a feeling I also had about Lyra in Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, thus is by no means limited to Funke’s writing. I did become quite attached to Farid, and even more intrigued by my favourite character Dustfinger, and his companion the Black Prince. The evil Mortola and Basta make a return, along with several new characters including the sinister Adderhead and his daughter, Her Ugliness.

The Inkworld itself is rich and vibrant, full of familiar creatures and ingenious new creations (the fire elves are fabulous, but why would a man made of glass ever seem like a good idea?!). Funke scrapes the surface of the world she has created but allows the reader to fill in the gaps.

My advice, if you enjoyed Inkheart, but weren’t quite satisfied with the character and story development, give Inkspell a whirl. By no means the best fantasy series out there, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And I defy you to read this and not rush out to get hold of the last in the series.

(let me know if you have reviewed this book)