The Inkworld Trilogy

The Inkworld Trilogy
by Cornelia Funke

In the Inkworld trilogy (Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath) Cornelia Funke has created a fantasy trilogy that, though intended for teens, can appeal to adults as well. The books revolve around a father and daughter who have the magical ability to read characters to life out of books - and read people from this world into the world of the book as well. Sticklers for details (as many fantasy fans are) should be forewarned that the books are marred by some internal inconsistencies, mainly regarding the chronology of the backstory. But this is more than made up for by Funke's sheer inventiveness as she populates her created world with an array of fantasy creatures that are uniquely hers. As the books become progressively more violent and darker in tone, Funke is able to touch upon themes involving the nature of good and evil, free will versus fate, and even the nature of reality itself. (Note: the motion picture version of Inkheart bears little resemblance to the book; if the premise of the movie intrigued you but you found it disappointing, you might give the book a try.) -- recommended by Peter J. - Virtual Services department

[The Inkworld novels are available from the libraries in a variety of editions and formats.]

[ official Cornelia Funke web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.