And Then I Read: INKWORLD, THE COLOR OF REVENGE by Cornelia Funke

Cover art by Jim Tierny

Cornelia Funke wrote a trilogy of three Inkheart books some time ago, and has returned to it with this new title. The concept is that a few gifted people have the ability to bring fantasy stories to life simply by reading them aloud, and to put real people into those worlds as well. This story takes place in one of those fantasy worlds as detailed in the earlier books. It can be enjoyed alone, but reading “Inkheart,” “Inkspell,” and “Inkdeath” first will ease confusion and fill in background on many of the characters.

Orpheus Gemelli is the villain of this story. He was stripped of his word spell powers in the previous book, and has been plotting his revenge. It’s a complex one that involves creating a new book with portraits of each of his perceived enemies by the greatest artist of this world, and then adding dark magic to those portraits so that the pictures and people themselves gradually fade to gray and disappear. All but Orpheus’s main target Dustfinger, who he once considered his best friend, until Dustfinger betrayed him. His plan succeeds, and the rest of the story is about Dustfinger and his few remaining allies trying to find Orpheus and rescue their friends and family. It’s a long and dangerous business with assassins, dark magic, and heartbreak on the way.

Well written and full of interesting magic and ideas. Recommended.

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