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Reckless #2
Fearless
Jacob Reckless has only a few months left to live.
He's tried everything to shake the Fairy curse that traded his life for his brother's — legends such as the All-Healing Apple, the Well of Eternal Youth, the blood of a northern Djinn. And yet hope after hope is extinguished. After months of fruitless searching, Jacob journeys through his father's mirror one final time to deliver the bad news to Fox.
There they hear of one last possibility — an item so legendary that not even Mirrorworlders believe it exists: a crossbow that can kill thousands, or heal one, when shot through the heart. But a Goyl treasure hunter is also searching for the prized crossbow. Jacob must find it first — and somehow persuade Fox to do whatever it takes to save him.
He's tried everything to shake the Fairy curse that traded his life for his brother's — legends such as the All-Healing Apple, the Well of Eternal Youth, the blood of a northern Djinn. And yet hope after hope is extinguished. After months of fruitless searching, Jacob journeys through his father's mirror one final time to deliver the bad news to Fox.
There they hear of one last possibility — an item so legendary that not even Mirrorworlders believe it exists: a crossbow that can kill thousands, or heal one, when shot through the heart. But a Goyl treasure hunter is also searching for the prized crossbow. Jacob must find it first — and somehow persuade Fox to do whatever it takes to save him.
432 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2012
About the author
Cornelia Funke
374 books12.5k followersCornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy for all ages of readers. Amongst her best known books is the Inkheart trilogy. Many of Cornelia's titles are published all over the world and translated into more than 30 languages. She has two children, two birds and a very old dog and lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 686 reviews
June 21, 2018
“Love was lost so terrifyingly easily.”
This was so good! Maybe even better than book 1!!!
I loved returning to the Mirrorworld with all its magical, dangerous and fantastical creatures and secrets.
Jacob managed to save his brother during book 1, but at a very high cost. This cost is now demanding to be paid and Jacob’s life is on the line.
He and his best friend Fox, the shape shifting girl are on a race against time to find the head, hand and heart of a warlock who hides a hidden crossbow, which could be his saviour.
Unfortunately, there is a stone man (Goyl) who is also after the crossbow for his own means and is willing to kill Jacob in the process.
An action filled fantasy full of dark magic and twisted fairytales! Cannot wait to read book 3.
This was so good! Maybe even better than book 1!!!
I loved returning to the Mirrorworld with all its magical, dangerous and fantastical creatures and secrets.
Jacob managed to save his brother during book 1, but at a very high cost. This cost is now demanding to be paid and Jacob’s life is on the line.
He and his best friend Fox, the shape shifting girl are on a race against time to find the head, hand and heart of a warlock who hides a hidden crossbow, which could be his saviour.
Unfortunately, there is a stone man (Goyl) who is also after the crossbow for his own means and is willing to kill Jacob in the process.
An action filled fantasy full of dark magic and twisted fairytales! Cannot wait to read book 3.
September 24, 2020
Noch spannender als der erste Band :) Absolutes Jahreshighlight !
November 8, 2016
Bin ich froh, dass ich den zweiten Teil endlich vom SUB hab. Fand ihn nochmal um einiges stärker als den ersten Band damals, vielleicht weil ich jetzt auch schon auf den Schreibstil vorbereitet war. Der ist nämlich - ehrlich gesagt - nicht so ganz meins. Durch ihn hab ich das Gefühl, dass mir die Protagonisten doch immer relativ fremd bleiben. Davon abgesehen ist die Welt und und das Storytelling super! Ich mag auch die Goyl und vor allem Nerron fand ich irgendwie klasse. Auch die vielen Märchenaspekte könnten mich wieder voll und ganz abholen und die Mischung aus ablaufender Zeit und Schatzjagd gefiel mir auch richtig gut. Ab der Mitte war das Tempo sowas von rasant. Und das Ende, Leute! Was für ein Cliffhanger, grrrr
December 7, 2020
Ich hätte es am liebsten gar nicht aus der Hand gelegt! Eine unglaublich spannende, düstere, märchenhafte Fortsetzung! Ich freue mich schon auf Teil 3.
December 9, 2015
The second volume about Jacob Reckless, the boy who found another world behind a black mirror and fox, his shape shifting friend (well, more than just a friend if both are honest).
When I opened the book, I was very disappointed because where the first book was filled with the author's illustrations, this only had little ones at the beginning of each chapter. It felt lifeless in comparison to the first volume.
When asking Cornelia Funke here on Goodreads, she told me that she had wanted to include more but the publisher was against it. I was so mad, I sent them an e-mail, scolding them. *lol*
I actually wanted to deduct a star for that.
However, after finishing the book, I simply can't. The story is so fast-paced, thrilling, fantastical and the writing stlye pure magic itself that it would be a sin. So let's just say that I deduct a symbolic star, OK?
As said in my review for the first part, Cornelia Funke is a master of the German language. Whenever she writes, she breathes life into every line, playing with words as well as entire tales, making the reading experience a delight.
In this second book, after Jacob managed to rescue his brother, he now has to face the wrath of the Red Fairy / her sister's curse that is about to kill him. Naturally, he doesn't want to die and after finally finding out about a weapon powerful enough to save him, a suspenseful and desperate search begins. This time, there's also competition in form of another treasure hunter and a mysterious "benefactor" who definitely has his own agenda! But beggars cant be choosers.
Moreover, we are introduced to even more countries, rulers and magical creatures of the Mirrorworld and the author effortlessly weaves our tales with those behind the mirror.
What actually made me sad was to read of all the progress in Mirrorworld.
I guess it happens everywhere at some point but to have a world full of magic and wonder and fairy tale creatures only to see all of that give way to machines and industries, the heavy smoke of factories replacing the scent of enchanted flowers, the sound of cars and cannons replacing the songs of sirens, almost all the forests being cut down to feed fires in mines and metal factories, more and more creatures going extinct, one people killing another with guns and rifles and even airplanes ...
Witches can still cure things mordern medicine can't (at least the black witches can) and some creatures cannot be killed with bullets, but that is only cold comfort. In short: my heart bled.
I can only hope that the 3rd book that leads us to the cold East, where Russian fairy tales rule, will bring back the magic, stop progress ... I couldn't bear to see Mirrorworld becoming our world.
When I opened the book, I was very disappointed because where the first book was filled with the author's illustrations, this only had little ones at the beginning of each chapter. It felt lifeless in comparison to the first volume.
When asking Cornelia Funke here on Goodreads, she told me that she had wanted to include more but the publisher was against it. I was so mad, I sent them an e-mail, scolding them. *lol*
I actually wanted to deduct a star for that.
However, after finishing the book, I simply can't. The story is so fast-paced, thrilling, fantastical and the writing stlye pure magic itself that it would be a sin. So let's just say that I deduct a symbolic star, OK?
As said in my review for the first part, Cornelia Funke is a master of the German language. Whenever she writes, she breathes life into every line, playing with words as well as entire tales, making the reading experience a delight.
In this second book, after Jacob managed to rescue his brother, he now has to face the wrath of the Red Fairy / her sister's curse that is about to kill him. Naturally, he doesn't want to die and after finally finding out about a weapon powerful enough to save him, a suspenseful and desperate search begins. This time, there's also competition in form of another treasure hunter and a mysterious "benefactor" who definitely has his own agenda! But beggars cant be choosers.
Moreover, we are introduced to even more countries, rulers and magical creatures of the Mirrorworld and the author effortlessly weaves our tales with those behind the mirror.
What actually made me sad was to read of all the progress in Mirrorworld.
I guess it happens everywhere at some point but to have a world full of magic and wonder and fairy tale creatures only to see all of that give way to machines and industries, the heavy smoke of factories replacing the scent of enchanted flowers, the sound of cars and cannons replacing the songs of sirens, almost all the forests being cut down to feed fires in mines and metal factories, more and more creatures going extinct, one people killing another with guns and rifles and even airplanes ...
Witches can still cure things mordern medicine can't (at least the black witches can) and some creatures cannot be killed with bullets, but that is only cold comfort. In short: my heart bled.
I can only hope that the 3rd book that leads us to the cold East, where Russian fairy tales rule, will bring back the magic, stop progress ... I couldn't bear to see Mirrorworld becoming our world.
February 2, 2017
"Nothing lasted for ever, even behind the mirror."
EDIT 19/12/15 - added review in English - recensione in italiano a fondo pagina/Italian review at the bottom of the page.
Lately, the attention I pay to new book releases is even lower than usual, and it is at its worst even in my 'normal' periods, so just imagine. Anyway, I was in this bookshop in Edinburgh all on my own, when at some point, having already browsed through all the other sections, I find myself in the middle grade section. I lower my eyes, and what do I see? The last copy of Fearless, obviously. Why it was there among the mid-grade books, I have no idea.
In any case, I was doubly surprised, because first I didn't know it had already come out, and in the second place I had resigned to the fact that Reckless wasn't going to have a sequel. I can't put my finger on why I was that sure, but the book had given me that impression, so, yeah, I had just put m heart at peace. Useless to say, I grabbed the book and carried it home.
I finished it yesterday evening, after two days of full immersion. It's been a long time since the last time a book left me so sad and kind of nostalgic. I'd give anything to go back in time and reread it all over again without knowing what awaits me on the next page. Cornelia Funke creates a world of inconceivable vividness, even more than how she did in Reckless. The characters are true, believable, driven by convincing feelings and provided with well-rounded personalities.
I will miss this world for a very long, long time. It left a void in my heart. I have no words to tell you how I feel, nor to describe the beauty of this story, nor to explaind how good Funke is at shaping her universe down to the minutest details, with expertise, coherence and unpredictability. I can't help but worship her imagination.
Recesione in italiano:
Ultimamente, l'attenzione che presto alle novità in arrivo in libreria è persino più bassa del solito, e tocca abissi critici persino nei miei periodi normali, quindi figuratevi. Ecco, ero che vagabondavo per i fatti miei in questa libreria, a Edimburgo, quando ad un certo punto, avendo già visitato tutti gli altri reparti, mi ritrovo nella sezione dei libri per bambini. Abbasso lo sguardo, e cosa vedo? L'ultima copia di Fearless, naturalmente. Perché poi il suo target debba essere quello di libro per fanciulli, a tutt'oggi resta un mistero.
Comunque sia, la mia sorpresa è stata doppia perché, in primis, non sapevo che fosse già uscito, e inoltre ero ormai persuasa che Reckless non avrebbe avuto un seguito. Non so spiegarne logicamente la ragione, ma mi aveva dato questa idea, quindi, ecco, diciamo che mi ero messa il cuore in pace. Inutile dirvi che mi ci sono fiondata e me lo sono portato a casa.
L'ho terminato ieri sera, dopo due giorni di full immersion, ed era da tanto che un libro non mi lasciava così triste e nostalgica. Pagherei oro pur di poter tornare indietro e rileggerlo tutto da capo non sapendo cosa si nasconde dietro la prossima pagina. La Funke crea un mondo di inconcepibile vividezza, ancora più di quanto avesse fatto in Reckless. I personaggi sono tutti veri, credibili, mossi da sentimenti plausibili e di straordinario vigore.
Sentirò la mancanza di questo mondo ancora per molto tempo. Mi ha lasciato un vuoto nel cuore. Non ci sono parole per descrivervi il mio stato d'animo, né la bellezza di questa storia, né la bravura della Funke nel plasmare i suoi mondi sin nei minimi particolari, con perizia, coerenza e imprevedibilità. La sua immaginazione è da venerare.
EDIT 19/12/15 - added review in English - recensione in italiano a fondo pagina/Italian review at the bottom of the page.
Lately, the attention I pay to new book releases is even lower than usual, and it is at its worst even in my 'normal' periods, so just imagine. Anyway, I was in this bookshop in Edinburgh all on my own, when at some point, having already browsed through all the other sections, I find myself in the middle grade section. I lower my eyes, and what do I see? The last copy of Fearless, obviously. Why it was there among the mid-grade books, I have no idea.
In any case, I was doubly surprised, because first I didn't know it had already come out, and in the second place I had resigned to the fact that Reckless wasn't going to have a sequel. I can't put my finger on why I was that sure, but the book had given me that impression, so, yeah, I had just put m heart at peace. Useless to say, I grabbed the book and carried it home.
I finished it yesterday evening, after two days of full immersion. It's been a long time since the last time a book left me so sad and kind of nostalgic. I'd give anything to go back in time and reread it all over again without knowing what awaits me on the next page. Cornelia Funke creates a world of inconceivable vividness, even more than how she did in Reckless. The characters are true, believable, driven by convincing feelings and provided with well-rounded personalities.
I will miss this world for a very long, long time. It left a void in my heart. I have no words to tell you how I feel, nor to describe the beauty of this story, nor to explaind how good Funke is at shaping her universe down to the minutest details, with expertise, coherence and unpredictability. I can't help but worship her imagination.
Recesione in italiano:
Ultimamente, l'attenzione che presto alle novità in arrivo in libreria è persino più bassa del solito, e tocca abissi critici persino nei miei periodi normali, quindi figuratevi. Ecco, ero che vagabondavo per i fatti miei in questa libreria, a Edimburgo, quando ad un certo punto, avendo già visitato tutti gli altri reparti, mi ritrovo nella sezione dei libri per bambini. Abbasso lo sguardo, e cosa vedo? L'ultima copia di Fearless, naturalmente. Perché poi il suo target debba essere quello di libro per fanciulli, a tutt'oggi resta un mistero.
Comunque sia, la mia sorpresa è stata doppia perché, in primis, non sapevo che fosse già uscito, e inoltre ero ormai persuasa che Reckless non avrebbe avuto un seguito. Non so spiegarne logicamente la ragione, ma mi aveva dato questa idea, quindi, ecco, diciamo che mi ero messa il cuore in pace. Inutile dirvi che mi ci sono fiondata e me lo sono portato a casa.
L'ho terminato ieri sera, dopo due giorni di full immersion, ed era da tanto che un libro non mi lasciava così triste e nostalgica. Pagherei oro pur di poter tornare indietro e rileggerlo tutto da capo non sapendo cosa si nasconde dietro la prossima pagina. La Funke crea un mondo di inconcepibile vividezza, ancora più di quanto avesse fatto in Reckless. I personaggi sono tutti veri, credibili, mossi da sentimenti plausibili e di straordinario vigore.
Sentirò la mancanza di questo mondo ancora per molto tempo. Mi ha lasciato un vuoto nel cuore. Non ci sono parole per descrivervi il mio stato d'animo, né la bellezza di questa storia, né la bravura della Funke nel plasmare i suoi mondi sin nei minimi particolari, con perizia, coerenza e imprevedibilità. La sua immaginazione è da venerare.
June 5, 2021
The second volume in the fantastic series that invites readers into the world behind the mirrors has Will back in our world with Clara and Jacob racing to find a cure against the Dark Fae‘s curse.
Jacob saved his little brother - and traded his own life in return. The price to be paid for saying the Dark One‘s name. The Red Fae knew it when she told him how to defeat her sister, it being her cruel revenge for Jacob leaving her all those years ago.
Fox doesn‘t know yet but she will soon.
The problem is that there might not be a cure for the curse as it is either one of or THE strongest magic in all of Mirrorworld.
But all is not lost yet. Because there is always one more tale, one more myth and in it, hints and promises and breadcrumbs to follow. In this case, Jacob is trying to obtain a powerful, fabled crossbow.
The problem is that Jacob isn‘t the only one hunting for the treasure, which is complicating things as time is running out.
Bluebeards, witch kings, more goyl, watermen, arrogant royalty, and the mysterious Erlkönig accompany us while we travel through known and new corners of Mirrorworld, from Albion via Lothringen to Austrien ins earch of a head, a hand and a heart.
This series is something special. People with not much (or any) knowledge of fairytales will find a rich and vivid world full of treasure while those well-versed in fairytales will recognize names and places but also the objects. For everyone, the books offer a colourful tapestry and a breathtaking adventure.
The writing style is still pure magic in and of itself. Cornelia Funke has an almost indescribable way of transporting readers into a different world. It‘s as if she takes you by the hand and steps through a mirror with you. And she has an uncanny feel for the atmosphere old tales conjure, weaving together different tales from all over Europe, but also North Africa and part of Russia (here, we‘ll get more in the following volumes).
Once again, I have to note the beauty of the audio production. My favorites will always be the print editions with the author‘s own, incomparable illustrations. But Rainer Strecker is a Silvertongue in his won right (yes, that is a pun born from one of the author‘s other series) and I‘m still in love with the music that is interwoven with the chapters.
P.S.: There IS honour amongsttreasure hunters thieves. ;)
Jacob saved his little brother - and traded his own life in return. The price to be paid for saying the Dark One‘s name. The Red Fae knew it when she told him how to defeat her sister, it being her cruel revenge for Jacob leaving her all those years ago.
Fox doesn‘t know yet but she will soon.
The problem is that there might not be a cure for the curse as it is either one of or THE strongest magic in all of Mirrorworld.
But all is not lost yet. Because there is always one more tale, one more myth and in it, hints and promises and breadcrumbs to follow. In this case, Jacob is trying to obtain a powerful, fabled crossbow.
The problem is that Jacob isn‘t the only one hunting for the treasure, which is complicating things as time is running out.
Bluebeards, witch kings, more goyl, watermen, arrogant royalty, and the mysterious Erlkönig accompany us while we travel through known and new corners of Mirrorworld, from Albion via Lothringen to Austrien ins earch of a head, a hand and a heart.
This series is something special. People with not much (or any) knowledge of fairytales will find a rich and vivid world full of treasure while those well-versed in fairytales will recognize names and places but also the objects. For everyone, the books offer a colourful tapestry and a breathtaking adventure.
The writing style is still pure magic in and of itself. Cornelia Funke has an almost indescribable way of transporting readers into a different world. It‘s as if she takes you by the hand and steps through a mirror with you. And she has an uncanny feel for the atmosphere old tales conjure, weaving together different tales from all over Europe, but also North Africa and part of Russia (here, we‘ll get more in the following volumes).
Once again, I have to note the beauty of the audio production. My favorites will always be the print editions with the author‘s own, incomparable illustrations. But Rainer Strecker is a Silvertongue in his won right (yes, that is a pun born from one of the author‘s other series) and I‘m still in love with the music that is interwoven with the chapters.
P.S.: There IS honour amongst
June 6, 2021
Still going really strong. In some ways, I liked the first better for his trying to save his brother from the curse, but after that bit was concluded and all that was left was a desperate quest to save himself from his own curse, I find myself thinking that book 2 might be even stronger.
Treasure hunting, ya know. Tons of treasure hunting. And between the rivalry, the interesting magics, the Osirus-kind of mythology flooding the pages, I found myself simply loving everything here.
Let me be clear: This isn't an average fantasy. It is VERY rich in myth, characters, plot, and desperate action. I can't even tell that it might be YA although it lists as such. And more than that, it's good across the board. It makes me wonder how much better the original is in German.
This is definitely up there among the best Fantasies.
Treasure hunting, ya know. Tons of treasure hunting. And between the rivalry, the interesting magics, the Osirus-kind of mythology flooding the pages, I found myself simply loving everything here.
Let me be clear: This isn't an average fantasy. It is VERY rich in myth, characters, plot, and desperate action. I can't even tell that it might be YA although it lists as such. And more than that, it's good across the board. It makes me wonder how much better the original is in German.
This is definitely up there among the best Fantasies.
August 7, 2018
This book was a chore to read quite honestly and there is only reason I kept reading and gave it 3 stars and not a lower rating. And that reason is Fox. I just love her character SO much that the pages she graced made it worth suffering through the juvenile nonsense the rest of this book was! I’m actually very disappointed by this turn of events because normally I absolutely love Funke’s writing. But I just couldn’t get into this one, it felt like the story was sprouting a new and confusing head every 3 pages!
January 10, 2022
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I am convinced that this series is cruelly aimed at obsessive completist readers. The cliffhanger at the end of book one makes this book a MUST-READ NOW and, through the magic of Kindle, I was able to read the books back-to-back. I warn all who come after me: To sign up for this voyage into Mirrorworld is to commit to the whole cycle.
I am in.
What happens during the course of this book is that Jacob comes to understand something he'd never given much thought to: My love for you creates my responsibility for you creates a web of obligation that is endless...and as addictive as any narcotic. While we who have read the first book know what a price Jacob has paid, in fact what a price he paid after making a sacrifice that even he isn't quite aware of the dimensions of yet, we're probably not expecting the antagonist of this book.
In fact, I guarantee we're unprepared for the existence of the antagonist of this book. And that's probably Author Funke's most clever sleeve-ace yet. It plays well.
There are the accustomed delights of reading this series' world-building fillips. These are numerous, though enumerating them for you isn't really something worth doing in a review. There is a Fandom wiki, of course there is!, and I didn't look but am willing to bet there's fanfic on AO3. The reason is that Author Funke used every conceivable fairy-tale source to draw her world out from and has made it into a near-seamless whole. (Where there are seams that I can perceive, eg Goyls' method of transmission, it felt to me as though they were intentional not born of inattention to source material.)
The problem I had wth this entry is how kinetic, nay frenetic, it is. We go from pillar to post and back again; Fox is with us, Nerron the treasure-hunting half-Goyl whose existence is new to this book is against us; we're never for a moment at rest, able to take stock, pause to reflect. It's exactly what Author Funke intends, and it's a valid narrative technique but in this reader it creates a sense of distance from the characters. I'm so deep in the world that I don't get to experience his progress through his (final?) days.
Until I read this:
That was a gut-punch of a trap set for overeager treasure hunters, wasn't it?! And the sheer violence of the stakes set...if you're not a relative of the curse-setter, you're still going to die in the circle but it won't keep the curse-setter alive...could not be more urgent. Now that Jacob has found this evil place, he thinks he's trapped in the curse.
Fox, his shifter gal-pal, isn't having that. As always, the woman's love saves the man from his stupidity and greed. Though let's be fair to Author Funke, this time Jacob's greed was simply the desire to live that we all suffer from. And since Fox very much wants Jacob still alive, she's hardly just going to watch as he dies from a curse she can stop from progressing...if she's willing to do something that's very, very hard to do and commit murder.
Killing someone/thing in a struggle isn't murder. The intent to kill, the set purpose and the planning of the act...that's murder. Will she murder to save Jacob's life?
You'll have to read the book.
The ending is tremendously exciting.
My Review: I am convinced that this series is cruelly aimed at obsessive completist readers. The cliffhanger at the end of book one makes this book a MUST-READ NOW and, through the magic of Kindle, I was able to read the books back-to-back. I warn all who come after me: To sign up for this voyage into Mirrorworld is to commit to the whole cycle.
I am in.
What happens during the course of this book is that Jacob comes to understand something he'd never given much thought to: My love for you creates my responsibility for you creates a web of obligation that is endless...and as addictive as any narcotic. While we who have read the first book know what a price Jacob has paid, in fact what a price he paid after making a sacrifice that even he isn't quite aware of the dimensions of yet, we're probably not expecting the antagonist of this book.
In fact, I guarantee we're unprepared for the existence of the antagonist of this book. And that's probably Author Funke's most clever sleeve-ace yet. It plays well.
There are the accustomed delights of reading this series' world-building fillips. These are numerous, though enumerating them for you isn't really something worth doing in a review. There is a Fandom wiki, of course there is!, and I didn't look but am willing to bet there's fanfic on AO3. The reason is that Author Funke used every conceivable fairy-tale source to draw her world out from and has made it into a near-seamless whole. (Where there are seams that I can perceive, eg Goyls' method of transmission, it felt to me as though they were intentional not born of inattention to source material.)
The problem I had wth this entry is how kinetic, nay frenetic, it is. We go from pillar to post and back again; Fox is with us, Nerron the treasure-hunting half-Goyl whose existence is new to this book is against us; we're never for a moment at rest, able to take stock, pause to reflect. It's exactly what Author Funke intends, and it's a valid narrative technique but in this reader it creates a sense of distance from the characters. I'm so deep in the world that I don't get to experience his progress through his (final?) days.
Until I read this:
"If you catch your own children in the circle...then you can use the years you take from them for yourself. You're just taking back the life you gave them in the first place. The more of it, the better."
That was a gut-punch of a trap set for overeager treasure hunters, wasn't it?! And the sheer violence of the stakes set...if you're not a relative of the curse-setter, you're still going to die in the circle but it won't keep the curse-setter alive...could not be more urgent. Now that Jacob has found this evil place, he thinks he's trapped in the curse.
Fox, his shifter gal-pal, isn't having that. As always, the woman's love saves the man from his stupidity and greed. Though let's be fair to Author Funke, this time Jacob's greed was simply the desire to live that we all suffer from. And since Fox very much wants Jacob still alive, she's hardly just going to watch as he dies from a curse she can stop from progressing...if she's willing to do something that's very, very hard to do and commit murder.
Killing someone/thing in a struggle isn't murder. The intent to kill, the set purpose and the planning of the act...that's murder. Will she murder to save Jacob's life?
You'll have to read the book.
The ending is tremendously exciting.
June 1, 2014
It's been a rather long time since I last ventured into Funke's Mirrorworld (although I did only do it the once), even longer since I last re-read Dragon Rider, my all-time Funke favorite, and probably eons since the Inkworld happened. My memories of Funke's books are distant but strong: I recall being bemused and enchanted by her dark and wonderful tales, and I owe her a young reader's deep-seated loyalty.
But it's not an eleven-year old Daria that read Reckless and Fearless. I wonder if the eleven-year old would have been more starry-eyed, or merely more frightened. The Mirrorworld is written with a more absentminded hand, I feel, than the Inkworld, in whose intricate design one could sense the loving flourishes of its creator. The Mirrorworld and all those who live within it (and those who do not) seem half-sketched portraits: the feelings are there, the darkness and the lurking danger and the thrill, but the picture is minimal and frustratingly incomplete. Reading along, I wanted to pull Funke's narrative to a stop, to ask her to linger; describe the road warmed by the sun at Saint-Riquet, I would say, make convincing the heroes' good escape off the Titania; follow the slashes of blades through the air in that duel between Jacob and Troisclerq.
I panicked as I neared the end of Fearless, noticing that Funke had raised too many questions and that there weren't enough pages in which to answer them all. Then I breathed easier as I found out that the next volume was well on its way, and thanks to my tardiness in getting to Fearless, Heartless is only a summer away.
Did I blaze through Fearless in one sitting? Yes. It isn't long at all. Did I enjoy it immensely? Absolutely. Funke is a sly, sometimes ambigous storyteller, and her translator likes to work in deceptively simple sentences. But Funke's imagination is all too bewitching and, coupled with the reader's own, any tale Funke tells always proves thrilling.
And, as a final disclaimer, I'll admit that my grandfather owned over a thousand books. And whether I was seven or twelve I only ever touched the collected copy of The Brothers' Grimm in his house, and wore its cerulean spine over the summer nights.
Which I suppose makes me a biased judge of Funke's Mirrorworld books at best.
But it's not an eleven-year old Daria that read Reckless and Fearless. I wonder if the eleven-year old would have been more starry-eyed, or merely more frightened. The Mirrorworld is written with a more absentminded hand, I feel, than the Inkworld, in whose intricate design one could sense the loving flourishes of its creator. The Mirrorworld and all those who live within it (and those who do not) seem half-sketched portraits: the feelings are there, the darkness and the lurking danger and the thrill, but the picture is minimal and frustratingly incomplete. Reading along, I wanted to pull Funke's narrative to a stop, to ask her to linger; describe the road warmed by the sun at Saint-Riquet, I would say, make convincing the heroes' good escape off the Titania; follow the slashes of blades through the air in that duel between Jacob and Troisclerq.
I panicked as I neared the end of Fearless, noticing that Funke had raised too many questions and that there weren't enough pages in which to answer them all. Then I breathed easier as I found out that the next volume was well on its way, and thanks to my tardiness in getting to Fearless, Heartless is only a summer away.
Did I blaze through Fearless in one sitting? Yes. It isn't long at all. Did I enjoy it immensely? Absolutely. Funke is a sly, sometimes ambigous storyteller, and her translator likes to work in deceptively simple sentences. But Funke's imagination is all too bewitching and, coupled with the reader's own, any tale Funke tells always proves thrilling.
And, as a final disclaimer, I'll admit that my grandfather owned over a thousand books. And whether I was seven or twelve I only ever touched the collected copy of The Brothers' Grimm in his house, and wore its cerulean spine over the summer nights.
Which I suppose makes me a biased judge of Funke's Mirrorworld books at best.
October 6, 2017
Nicht ganz so gut, wie der Vorgänger, aber immer noch ein klasse Buch! Ich liebe Cornelia Funkes Schreibstil und die Welten die sie erschafft. Bin gespannt auf den dritten Teil ☺️
April 13, 2021
Dieses mal sind es französische und englische Märchen, derer sich Cornelia Funke in diesem Teil annimmt. Ansonsten ist die Handlung, wie schon in Band eins "Steinernes Fleisch" wieder spannend und phantasievoll. Wie gut, dass ich bereits "Das goldene Garn" besitze. Aber bitte, bitte liebe Cornelia, wir brauchen Band vier!
May 5, 2019
Yesterday (May 1) was a legal holiday in Germany and with nothing else to do, I decided to declutter my entire room whilst listening to the audiobook of the second instalment in the Reckless series. Mind you, the audiobook is 10 hours long and I listened to 9 hours yesterday. I did zone out a bit towards the end (CAN YOU BLAME ME THO?) but at least got a shit ton of cleaning done and managed to get rid of six bags full of shit I don't need anymore.
Since this is a reread for me, I was still able to follow along the story quite nicely, even though I wasn't always the most attentive. First and foremost, just like for part one, the audiobook is fucking awesome. I enjoy Rainer Strecker's narration a lot and I appreciate that he's trying to give the different characters in the series distinct voices, albeit with differing success... the breathy and "clammy" voice that he gave the Aquarius was so nasty, I cannot deal. :D Additionally, I absolutely adore the musical choices for this audiobook. Every chapter ends with the most atmospheric music that fits the narrative so nicely, I am obsessed! I never thought it would be this way but the music really helped me to immerse myself more in the story.
Plot-wise the second instalment is much stronger than the first one. Since we already know our favorite main characters (Jacob and Fox), Cornelia doesn't loose her breath on exposition. She picks the story right up where she left it at the end of Reckless 1: Jacob was able to save his brother but had to sacrifice his own life for it. The Dark Fairy put a moth to his chest, so that he only has one year left to live before she reclaims her name and his life for herself. In this year, Jacob tried everything in his might to escape his inevitable death, chasing after all of those miracles and myths (like the Fountain of Youth), but nothing worked.
Just as he's about to give up, he learns of a magical crossbow of a long-dead witch king that, if fired out of love, is able to give life to the person that is shot. Alongside with Fox, Jacob starts hunting the lost artefact. But this wouldn't be a good adventure if the goyl Nerron wouldn't be searching the crossbow as well, since if you fire it at an army commander, all of his soldiers die.
In this book, Cornelia draws a lot from French and British fairy tales, as most of the plot is set in Lothringen and Albion, the pendant to France and England respectively. One creature that is explored deeply is the Bluebeard. On their hunt for the crossbow, Fox is abducted by the Bluebeard Troisclerq and Jacob tries to save her. This is one of my favorite moments in the entire series because a) Cornelia manages to weave these fairy tales so seamlessly into her plots that everything actually fits and moves the story along and b) we finally get our long-needed exploration of Jacob and Fox's love for each other. The fact that both care deeply about the other is clear from page 1 but I like the fact that, as Fox grows into a woman, they both realise that they might be more than friends. Not gonna lie, they are my OTP and all of their tender moments gave me absolutely the feels. I love how slowly their relationship is developing and that a kiss on the cheeks or a hug that lasts a little too long are the only signs of their growing relationship that we get to see. Connie is the queen of slow burn!
Overall, I really enjoyed that Connie found a good balance between giving both characters and plot the time they need and deserve. The showdown between Jacob and Nerron was thrilling, even though I have to admit, that their clash in the castle of the witch king was the part where I zoned out, since it came at the end. ;) Nonetheless, I liked the twist at the end where Jacob realised that there must be more mirrors that lead in and out of the Mirrorworld, and that he saw this as his opportunity to flee and save him and Fox out of this tough spot. Miranda's epilogue also gave me the hope that the Red Fairy (and the Dark Fairy, of course) will continue to play a huge role and will try to make Jacob's life like hell. Also, what's up with the Earl King? Can't wait to find out more about him and what he wants from my baby boy!
Since this is a reread for me, I was still able to follow along the story quite nicely, even though I wasn't always the most attentive. First and foremost, just like for part one, the audiobook is fucking awesome. I enjoy Rainer Strecker's narration a lot and I appreciate that he's trying to give the different characters in the series distinct voices, albeit with differing success... the breathy and "clammy" voice that he gave the Aquarius was so nasty, I cannot deal. :D Additionally, I absolutely adore the musical choices for this audiobook. Every chapter ends with the most atmospheric music that fits the narrative so nicely, I am obsessed! I never thought it would be this way but the music really helped me to immerse myself more in the story.
Plot-wise the second instalment is much stronger than the first one. Since we already know our favorite main characters (Jacob and Fox), Cornelia doesn't loose her breath on exposition. She picks the story right up where she left it at the end of Reckless 1: Jacob was able to save his brother but had to sacrifice his own life for it. The Dark Fairy put a moth to his chest, so that he only has one year left to live before she reclaims her name and his life for herself. In this year, Jacob tried everything in his might to escape his inevitable death, chasing after all of those miracles and myths (like the Fountain of Youth), but nothing worked.
Just as he's about to give up, he learns of a magical crossbow of a long-dead witch king that, if fired out of love, is able to give life to the person that is shot. Alongside with Fox, Jacob starts hunting the lost artefact. But this wouldn't be a good adventure if the goyl Nerron wouldn't be searching the crossbow as well, since if you fire it at an army commander, all of his soldiers die.
In this book, Cornelia draws a lot from French and British fairy tales, as most of the plot is set in Lothringen and Albion, the pendant to France and England respectively. One creature that is explored deeply is the Bluebeard. On their hunt for the crossbow, Fox is abducted by the Bluebeard Troisclerq and Jacob tries to save her. This is one of my favorite moments in the entire series because a) Cornelia manages to weave these fairy tales so seamlessly into her plots that everything actually fits and moves the story along and b) we finally get our long-needed exploration of Jacob and Fox's love for each other. The fact that both care deeply about the other is clear from page 1 but I like the fact that, as Fox grows into a woman, they both realise that they might be more than friends. Not gonna lie, they are my OTP and all of their tender moments gave me absolutely the feels. I love how slowly their relationship is developing and that a kiss on the cheeks or a hug that lasts a little too long are the only signs of their growing relationship that we get to see. Connie is the queen of slow burn!
Overall, I really enjoyed that Connie found a good balance between giving both characters and plot the time they need and deserve. The showdown between Jacob and Nerron was thrilling, even though I have to admit, that their clash in the castle of the witch king was the part where I zoned out, since it came at the end. ;) Nonetheless, I liked the twist at the end where Jacob realised that there must be more mirrors that lead in and out of the Mirrorworld, and that he saw this as his opportunity to flee and save him and Fox out of this tough spot. Miranda's epilogue also gave me the hope that the Red Fairy (and the Dark Fairy, of course) will continue to play a huge role and will try to make Jacob's life like hell. Also, what's up with the Earl King? Can't wait to find out more about him and what he wants from my baby boy!
Want to read
April 28, 2012Shocked that people weren't expecting bk 2... Did they not read the ending??
August 9, 2013
OMG PLEASE LET IT BE ALTEASTNEXT YEAR I WANT MORE OF JACOBBBBBB!
UPDATES:
Loved it!
UPDATES:
Loved it!
September 2, 2021
Este libro me gustó mucho más, me encanta el mundo que Cornelia Funke a creado. Donde la magia antigua se mezcla con la nueva, donde las viejas historias conviven con el futuro. No he podido evitar sentir nostalgia por ese pasado que se desvanece.
Hace mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto una aventura. Me recordó a mi yo muy joven, que se emocionaba con viajes submarinos y salía en busca de tesoros.
Todavía sigo sintiendo que le falta profundizar en el mundo que ha creado, o tal vez es que yo quiero mucho más, me gustaría tener mucho más. Sin embargo, he disfrutado mucho la magia que se entreteje en esta historia.
Hace mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto una aventura. Me recordó a mi yo muy joven, que se emocionaba con viajes submarinos y salía en busca de tesoros.
Todavía sigo sintiendo que le falta profundizar en el mundo que ha creado, o tal vez es que yo quiero mucho más, me gustaría tener mucho más. Sin embargo, he disfrutado mucho la magia que se entreteje en esta historia.
April 20, 2016
I know that I am a mood reader - scheduling what books to read when just doesn’t work for me. I know that, obviously. But for some reason I pushed myself through this book even though I knew that I just wasn’t in the right mood for such a ‘heavy’ and wordy fantasy. Don’t get me wrong though, this book was fantastic. I cannot deny that. Fearless was the continuation of Jacob Reckless' journey in the Mirrorworld, and the story was engrossing as always.
The plot, somehow, manages to be a constant stream of surprises. New creature, new folklore, new storylines pop up constantly and weave themselves into the web of the main story. Somehow it works. It wasn’t disorientating, like expected, but managed to grab your attention. The only downside was that every time I put the book down I lost the little thread the story was following… and since I wasn’t in the right mood to be reading it in the first place, that was more often than it should have been.
The writing, however, was so bloody gorgeous, it (mostly) made up for it. I know a lot of people say that books that have been translated tend to lose that “special something” from the native language, but boy, if we are missing out on something (writing-wise) than I cannot even begin to comprehend how utterly marvellous the original German text must be.
In the end, I was impressed with this book. It was very, very good and probably deserves more than I can give it. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I picked it up. The wordy tendencies of Cornelia Funke were a little too much for me at the time, but the storyline was great, the characters were great and the writing was perfect – so a great read overall. I only wish the third sequel had been translated into English already so I can pick it up – this had a bit of a cliff hanger. Sigh.
The plot, somehow, manages to be a constant stream of surprises. New creature, new folklore, new storylines pop up constantly and weave themselves into the web of the main story. Somehow it works. It wasn’t disorientating, like expected, but managed to grab your attention. The only downside was that every time I put the book down I lost the little thread the story was following… and since I wasn’t in the right mood to be reading it in the first place, that was more often than it should have been.
The writing, however, was so bloody gorgeous, it (mostly) made up for it. I know a lot of people say that books that have been translated tend to lose that “special something” from the native language, but boy, if we are missing out on something (writing-wise) than I cannot even begin to comprehend how utterly marvellous the original German text must be.
In the end, I was impressed with this book. It was very, very good and probably deserves more than I can give it. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I picked it up. The wordy tendencies of Cornelia Funke were a little too much for me at the time, but the storyline was great, the characters were great and the writing was perfect – so a great read overall. I only wish the third sequel had been translated into English already so I can pick it up – this had a bit of a cliff hanger. Sigh.
June 11, 2016
It's been a few days since I finished reading this book, but I've had no time to actually sit and write down this review. And this is due to study and exams, and not because I've nothing to say about this book (because, you know, I gave it 5 stars so obviously I've a lot of things to say about this one).
What can I say? I read Reckless a long time ago, and I didn't know there would have been a sequel to it. I found out about this book just a couple of months ago, and when I finally found it at my local library I knew I had to read it. Even though I didn't remember much about the first one, I do remember that I liked it a lot and that I fell in love completely with the world and the characters, and this book made me love everything even more.
This book was magical and dark at the same time. Many people think that this is a middle grade book, but it's actually pretty intense and obscure most of the time! The world building is simple and yet so original. I loved the fact that the Mirrorwold was an actual reflection of our own, and that the author put actual critics to society and progress, behind the story. But, despite the magic being submersed by innovation, in the Mirrorworld all the stories and the legends still seem to come to life, and they are built in shadows and smoke. Reading the journey of Jacob and Fox through these lands was a trip through mysteries and myths and I couldn't stop reading, and feeling a bit torn between amazement and shivers.
I think that the athmosphere that the author tried to give this book was supposed to be like a fairytale, but of the dark kind. There are all these creatures and this quest, and the great friendship (and something more) between the two main characters, and at the same time there is some kind of evil lurking in the shadows and we can actually feel the race against time that Jacob is living. I almost never felt so anxious about an ending, because, being this world so obscure, I really didn't know what to expect. From the beginning, you just know that an happy ending isn't so obvious at all.
The characters were amazing as well. Fox and Jacob are the kind of couple (which is not actually a couple) you want to read more and more about. The way they interact with each other, the absolute loyalty they have for the other, it's just beautiful, in a world were you never know who to trust and who wants to stab you in the back.
Jacob wasn't the kind of hero we are used to see either. He's some dark shadows in himself and he's far from perfect, but he's good, and he's a big heart. And Fox is a great female character, and I love the fact that, even though they are in love with each other, this whole book didn't focus only on their feelings. There's this attraction between the two of them, but it was really realistic the fact that there was so much going on, that there was no time to focus on love or on a possible relationship, but I also hope that we're going to see more of them in the next book, because they deserve each other, and they deserve to be happy and together.
I don't know when the third book will come out, but I'm surely looking forward to it. Until then, I will be missing this world, and its stories, and these beautiful characters. I don't know why these books haven't more fans, because they surely deserve more aknoledgment! Everything about this story is just so fascinating, and the writing style is so compelling, in my opinion. I haven't read anything else by Cornelia Funke, but I'm surely going to, after reading this one, because I feel like she could become one of my favorite authors.
What can I say? I read Reckless a long time ago, and I didn't know there would have been a sequel to it. I found out about this book just a couple of months ago, and when I finally found it at my local library I knew I had to read it. Even though I didn't remember much about the first one, I do remember that I liked it a lot and that I fell in love completely with the world and the characters, and this book made me love everything even more.
This book was magical and dark at the same time. Many people think that this is a middle grade book, but it's actually pretty intense and obscure most of the time! The world building is simple and yet so original. I loved the fact that the Mirrorwold was an actual reflection of our own, and that the author put actual critics to society and progress, behind the story. But, despite the magic being submersed by innovation, in the Mirrorworld all the stories and the legends still seem to come to life, and they are built in shadows and smoke. Reading the journey of Jacob and Fox through these lands was a trip through mysteries and myths and I couldn't stop reading, and feeling a bit torn between amazement and shivers.
I think that the athmosphere that the author tried to give this book was supposed to be like a fairytale, but of the dark kind. There are all these creatures and this quest, and the great friendship (and something more) between the two main characters, and at the same time there is some kind of evil lurking in the shadows and we can actually feel the race against time that Jacob is living. I almost never felt so anxious about an ending, because, being this world so obscure, I really didn't know what to expect. From the beginning, you just know that an happy ending isn't so obvious at all.
The characters were amazing as well. Fox and Jacob are the kind of couple (which is not actually a couple) you want to read more and more about. The way they interact with each other, the absolute loyalty they have for the other, it's just beautiful, in a world were you never know who to trust and who wants to stab you in the back.
Jacob wasn't the kind of hero we are used to see either. He's some dark shadows in himself and he's far from perfect, but he's good, and he's a big heart. And Fox is a great female character, and I love the fact that, even though they are in love with each other, this whole book didn't focus only on their feelings. There's this attraction between the two of them, but it was really realistic the fact that there was so much going on, that there was no time to focus on love or on a possible relationship, but I also hope that we're going to see more of them in the next book, because they deserve each other, and they deserve to be happy and together.
I don't know when the third book will come out, but I'm surely looking forward to it. Until then, I will be missing this world, and its stories, and these beautiful characters. I don't know why these books haven't more fans, because they surely deserve more aknoledgment! Everything about this story is just so fascinating, and the writing style is so compelling, in my opinion. I haven't read anything else by Cornelia Funke, but I'm surely going to, after reading this one, because I feel like she could become one of my favorite authors.
June 24, 2014
Ever since the end of the Reckless I have been waiting for this sequel to come out. I'm sure it won't disappoint. Also, I can't understand why Reckless got a lot of low ratings, i thought it was a really good book.
January 9, 2021
Deutsche Rezension folgt weiter unten
________________
I loved Cornelia Funke's Inkheart books and was a bit disappointed by the first Reckless book. I liked it but something seemed missing. I just finished the second book and liked it much more. The story continues where the first book left off. Jacob tries to find a way to counter the fairy curse that will kill him if he doesn't succeed. He is accompanied by the shapeshifter Fox. After every other measure Jacob knows of and tries fails to help against the curse, his last option is a magical crossbow that may save his life. But to find the crossbow Jacob first has to find three other objects that will reveal the crossbow. His search is made even more difficult by the fact that another treasure-hunter wants to find the crossbow and is determined to beat Jacob.
In this book Cornelia Funke shows again how much imagination she has. The world she created behind the mirrors is based on our own and there are many fairy tale elements to be found throughout the story. This doesn't prevent Funke from creating her very own world with vivid characters. I enjoyed every sentence of this book.
Rainer Strecker read the German audiobook. As usual he does a great job with it.
_________
Ich war begeistert von Cornelia Funkes Tintenherz-Büchern. Von dem ersten Buch in der neuen Reihe mit Jacob Reckless war ich jedoch eher enttäuscht. Ich fand es ganz nett, jedoch hat etwas von dem Zauber gefehlt, der mit bei Funkes Tintenwelt so gefesselt hat. Jetzt habe ich auch das zweite Buch in der neuen Reihe als Hörbuch gehört und muss sagen, dass dieses mir besser gefällt als der erste Band.
Die Geschichte setzt dort ein, wo der erste Band aufgehört hat. Zwar ist es Jacob gelungen, seinen Bruder will von dem Feen-Fluch zu befreien, der ihm eine steinerne Haut beschehrt hatte, doch dafür ist nun Jacob verflucht. Die Motte der Fee sitzt auf seiner Brust und wenn sie ihn vier mal gebissen hat, bedeutet dies Jacobs Tod. Deswegen setzt Jacob alles daran eine Möglichkeit zu finden um den Fluch zu brechen. Doch alle Jacob bekannten Mittel schlagen fehl.
Der einzige Hoffnungsschimmer, der ihm noch bleibt, besteht in einer magischen Armbrust, nämlich die Armbrust von Giesmund dem Hexenschlächter. Die Armbrust dieses Magiers soll ganz besondere Eigenschaften besitzen: Sie ist dazu in der Lage mit nur einem Schuss ganze Armeen zu vernichten. Doch wenn sie aus Liebe abgeschossen wird, so soll sie auch dazu in der Lage sein das Leben eines zum Tode verdammten zu retten.
Also macht Jacob sich auf die Suche nach der Armbrust. An seiner Seite die Gestaltwandlerin Fuchs. Um die Armbrust zu finden müssen sie Giesmunds Hand, Herz und Kopf finden und mit seinem Körper wieder vereinen, wodurch Giesmunds Schloss erscheinen soll, in dem sich die Armbrust befindet. Erschwert wird ihre Suche dadurch, dass ein weiterer Schatzjäger auf der Suche danach ist, nämlich ein Goyle, der es sich in den Kopf gesetzt hat Jacob dieses Mal zu schlagen um so zu beweisen, dass er der bessere Schatzjäger ist.
Mit diesem Buch zeigt Cornelia Funke erneut wie viel Fantasie sie hat und wie magisch ihre Worte sein können. Die von ihr geschaffene Welt hinter den Spiegeln ähnelt zwar der unseren in erstaunlicher Weise, doch sind dort Märchenelemente verstreut und geradezu alltäglich. Trotz dieser Anleihen in der realen Welt und bei bekannten Märchen gelingt es Funke ihre ganz eigene Welt zu erschaffen mit lebhaften Charakteren. Von diesem zweiten Band der Serie habe ich jeden Satz genossen.
Wie die anderen Bücher von Cornelia Funke liest auch dieses Buch wieder Rainer Strecker und liefert dabei einen ausgezeichneten Job ab. Zwar lässt es sich nach mehreren Büchern nicht vermeiden, dass Strecker gelegentlich mal "Stimmen" aus anderen Bücher wieder verwendet, so hat meine Mutter zwischendrin bemerkt, dass einer der Goyles klingt wie der Natternkopf in der Tintenwelt, doch tut dies dem Buch keinen Abbruch und nimmt ihm auch nicht seine Individualität. Rainer Strecker gehört zweifellos zu den besten deutschen Hörbuchsprechern, die sich finden lassen.
________________
I loved Cornelia Funke's Inkheart books and was a bit disappointed by the first Reckless book. I liked it but something seemed missing. I just finished the second book and liked it much more. The story continues where the first book left off. Jacob tries to find a way to counter the fairy curse that will kill him if he doesn't succeed. He is accompanied by the shapeshifter Fox. After every other measure Jacob knows of and tries fails to help against the curse, his last option is a magical crossbow that may save his life. But to find the crossbow Jacob first has to find three other objects that will reveal the crossbow. His search is made even more difficult by the fact that another treasure-hunter wants to find the crossbow and is determined to beat Jacob.
In this book Cornelia Funke shows again how much imagination she has. The world she created behind the mirrors is based on our own and there are many fairy tale elements to be found throughout the story. This doesn't prevent Funke from creating her very own world with vivid characters. I enjoyed every sentence of this book.
Rainer Strecker read the German audiobook. As usual he does a great job with it.
_________
Ich war begeistert von Cornelia Funkes Tintenherz-Büchern. Von dem ersten Buch in der neuen Reihe mit Jacob Reckless war ich jedoch eher enttäuscht. Ich fand es ganz nett, jedoch hat etwas von dem Zauber gefehlt, der mit bei Funkes Tintenwelt so gefesselt hat. Jetzt habe ich auch das zweite Buch in der neuen Reihe als Hörbuch gehört und muss sagen, dass dieses mir besser gefällt als der erste Band.
Die Geschichte setzt dort ein, wo der erste Band aufgehört hat. Zwar ist es Jacob gelungen, seinen Bruder will von dem Feen-Fluch zu befreien, der ihm eine steinerne Haut beschehrt hatte, doch dafür ist nun Jacob verflucht. Die Motte der Fee sitzt auf seiner Brust und wenn sie ihn vier mal gebissen hat, bedeutet dies Jacobs Tod. Deswegen setzt Jacob alles daran eine Möglichkeit zu finden um den Fluch zu brechen. Doch alle Jacob bekannten Mittel schlagen fehl.
Der einzige Hoffnungsschimmer, der ihm noch bleibt, besteht in einer magischen Armbrust, nämlich die Armbrust von Giesmund dem Hexenschlächter. Die Armbrust dieses Magiers soll ganz besondere Eigenschaften besitzen: Sie ist dazu in der Lage mit nur einem Schuss ganze Armeen zu vernichten. Doch wenn sie aus Liebe abgeschossen wird, so soll sie auch dazu in der Lage sein das Leben eines zum Tode verdammten zu retten.
Also macht Jacob sich auf die Suche nach der Armbrust. An seiner Seite die Gestaltwandlerin Fuchs. Um die Armbrust zu finden müssen sie Giesmunds Hand, Herz und Kopf finden und mit seinem Körper wieder vereinen, wodurch Giesmunds Schloss erscheinen soll, in dem sich die Armbrust befindet. Erschwert wird ihre Suche dadurch, dass ein weiterer Schatzjäger auf der Suche danach ist, nämlich ein Goyle, der es sich in den Kopf gesetzt hat Jacob dieses Mal zu schlagen um so zu beweisen, dass er der bessere Schatzjäger ist.
Mit diesem Buch zeigt Cornelia Funke erneut wie viel Fantasie sie hat und wie magisch ihre Worte sein können. Die von ihr geschaffene Welt hinter den Spiegeln ähnelt zwar der unseren in erstaunlicher Weise, doch sind dort Märchenelemente verstreut und geradezu alltäglich. Trotz dieser Anleihen in der realen Welt und bei bekannten Märchen gelingt es Funke ihre ganz eigene Welt zu erschaffen mit lebhaften Charakteren. Von diesem zweiten Band der Serie habe ich jeden Satz genossen.
Wie die anderen Bücher von Cornelia Funke liest auch dieses Buch wieder Rainer Strecker und liefert dabei einen ausgezeichneten Job ab. Zwar lässt es sich nach mehreren Büchern nicht vermeiden, dass Strecker gelegentlich mal "Stimmen" aus anderen Bücher wieder verwendet, so hat meine Mutter zwischendrin bemerkt, dass einer der Goyles klingt wie der Natternkopf in der Tintenwelt, doch tut dies dem Buch keinen Abbruch und nimmt ihm auch nicht seine Individualität. Rainer Strecker gehört zweifellos zu den besten deutschen Hörbuchsprechern, die sich finden lassen.
June 12, 2016
Ein kurzer Blick zurück auf den 24. Februar 2011, der Tag an dem ich den ersten Band beendet hatte. Ich fand das Buch nicht unbedingt schlecht, war aber ein kleine wenig enttäuscht, weil mir zwei der Hauptcharaktere, nämlich Clara und Will, sehr unsympathisch gewesen sind und es mich ein wenig gestört hatte, dass Jacob sein Leben für Will riskiert.
Nun, in diesem zweiten Band ist keine einzige Szene aus der Sicht von einem der beiden geschrieben. Um genau zu sein spielen sie hier nur eine sehr sehr sehr kleine Randrolle, während sich die Geschichte hauptsächlich auf Jacob und Fuchs fokussiert. Es ist als seien all meine Gebete erhört worden!
Jacob ist einfach so ein sympathischer Kerl, man kann ihn nur gern haben. Allein seine Gedankengänge und die Art und Weise wie er das Leben anderer immer über sein eigenes stellt, wie er versucht ehrenhaft zu handeln, einfach toll! Fuchs ist einem ebenso sympathisch, auch wenn sie vom Charakter her sehr viel rücksichtsloser ist al Jacob, man mag sie trotzdem.
Ich sehe auch so langsam den roten Faden der Geschichte. Es scheint als müsse Jacob sich immer wieder auf einen Handel einlassen, der ihn immer etwas kostet, mal größere, mal kleinere Dinge. Wills Leben zu retten hat ihn sein eigenes gekostet, sein Leben zu retten... Nun, das erfahrt ihr, wenn ihr das Buch lest. Ich jedenfalls fand das Ende hier wirklich toll und bin froh, dass Reckless wohl noch mehr als nur noch einen Teil haben wird (Zumindest habe ich das mal irgendwo gelesen) Ich würde mich darüber jedenfalls freuen.
Die Welt hinter dem Spiegel hat in diesem zweiten Teil eigentlich immer mehr Parallelen zur Tintenwelt. Es ist fast als würde man die Tintenwelt mit Märchen verflicken, ein wenig Düsternis dazutun und TATA: Die Welt von Reckless. Da ich ein großer Fan der Tintenwelt-Trilogie bin und noch immer darum trauere, dass es nur drei Bücher gibt, die in der Tintenwelt spielen (und es sind ja eigentlich nur Tintenblut und Tintentod, wenn man es genau nimmt), kann ich gar nicht sagen wie froh ich bin jetzt auf noch mehr dieser fantastischen Geschichten warten zu dürfen. Die Idee mit dem Blaubart zum Ende der Geschichte hin war auch fantastisch, der Showdown episch und spannungsgeladen und viele stellen sehr emotional. Es geht auch wieder viel um Moral, vor allem im Zusammenhand mit der Armbrust, die Jacob finden will und die eine solche Zerstörungskraft aufweist, dass es die Welt hinter dem Spiegel komplett zerstören könnte. Auch die vielen Anspielungen darauf, dass die Technik den Zauber der Welt zerstört, waren sehr interessant gestaltet.
FAZIT
Ein zweiter Teil, der mich völlig in seinen Bann gezogen hat und jeden Zweifel, der sich nach Band eins aufgrund der Charaktere bei mir zeigte, im Keim ersticken konnte! Noch nicht ganz so mitreißend wie Tintenherz, aber wir haben ja noch ein paar Bände vor uns und Cornelia Funke ist eingeltlich immer für eine Überraschung gut.
Nun, in diesem zweiten Band ist keine einzige Szene aus der Sicht von einem der beiden geschrieben. Um genau zu sein spielen sie hier nur eine sehr sehr sehr kleine Randrolle, während sich die Geschichte hauptsächlich auf Jacob und Fuchs fokussiert. Es ist als seien all meine Gebete erhört worden!
Jacob ist einfach so ein sympathischer Kerl, man kann ihn nur gern haben. Allein seine Gedankengänge und die Art und Weise wie er das Leben anderer immer über sein eigenes stellt, wie er versucht ehrenhaft zu handeln, einfach toll! Fuchs ist einem ebenso sympathisch, auch wenn sie vom Charakter her sehr viel rücksichtsloser ist al Jacob, man mag sie trotzdem.
Ich sehe auch so langsam den roten Faden der Geschichte. Es scheint als müsse Jacob sich immer wieder auf einen Handel einlassen, der ihn immer etwas kostet, mal größere, mal kleinere Dinge. Wills Leben zu retten hat ihn sein eigenes gekostet, sein Leben zu retten... Nun, das erfahrt ihr, wenn ihr das Buch lest. Ich jedenfalls fand das Ende hier wirklich toll und bin froh, dass Reckless wohl noch mehr als nur noch einen Teil haben wird (Zumindest habe ich das mal irgendwo gelesen) Ich würde mich darüber jedenfalls freuen.
Die Welt hinter dem Spiegel hat in diesem zweiten Teil eigentlich immer mehr Parallelen zur Tintenwelt. Es ist fast als würde man die Tintenwelt mit Märchen verflicken, ein wenig Düsternis dazutun und TATA: Die Welt von Reckless. Da ich ein großer Fan der Tintenwelt-Trilogie bin und noch immer darum trauere, dass es nur drei Bücher gibt, die in der Tintenwelt spielen (und es sind ja eigentlich nur Tintenblut und Tintentod, wenn man es genau nimmt), kann ich gar nicht sagen wie froh ich bin jetzt auf noch mehr dieser fantastischen Geschichten warten zu dürfen. Die Idee mit dem Blaubart zum Ende der Geschichte hin war auch fantastisch, der Showdown episch und spannungsgeladen und viele stellen sehr emotional. Es geht auch wieder viel um Moral, vor allem im Zusammenhand mit der Armbrust, die Jacob finden will und die eine solche Zerstörungskraft aufweist, dass es die Welt hinter dem Spiegel komplett zerstören könnte. Auch die vielen Anspielungen darauf, dass die Technik den Zauber der Welt zerstört, waren sehr interessant gestaltet.
FAZIT
Ein zweiter Teil, der mich völlig in seinen Bann gezogen hat und jeden Zweifel, der sich nach Band eins aufgrund der Charaktere bei mir zeigte, im Keim ersticken konnte! Noch nicht ganz so mitreißend wie Tintenherz, aber wir haben ja noch ein paar Bände vor uns und Cornelia Funke ist eingeltlich immer für eine Überraschung gut.
April 27, 2016
Un verdadero homenaje a la tradición alemana de los cuentos de hadas. Misterio. Aventura. Personajes reales que hasta se pueden oler. Emoción. Castillos encantados. Príncipes azules. Una verdadera delicia.
February 12, 2021
Noch viel schöner und spannender als ich es in Erinnerung hatte. Der zweite Teil hat mir teilweise noch besser gefallen als der erste. Nach wie vor, tolle Charaktere und eine wirklich schaurig schöne märchenwelt die Cornelia funke mit reckless und der spiegelwelt geschaffen hat.
January 18, 2018
Before you read my entire review I would like you to know that I have nothing against Cornelia Funke personally and my review is based solely on literary opinion.
I know this probably isn't the nicest metaphor but this is truly how I view the book.
This book reminds me of a Hollywood starlet that rises to the top and unfortunately later becomes a train wreck. Bear with me for a moment.
Example: The actor makes their film debut in a movie that is both critically and commercially successful as was the first book in this series. The movie has a plot that is so incredibly original to the point where it can be considered a well known film or in some cases a modern day classic.
After making several successful films the actor sees itself as being above everyone and assumes that because they are a big name that everyone wants to work with them (or in this case read their work). The actor then feels the pressures of fame and falls down the wrong path that is so typical of many Hollywood starlets. This eventually leads to their fall from grace.
In order to salvage their broken career they make cheap, crappy films in an effort to make themselves feel like they still got their game and will one day make a legendary comeback.
Am I saying Cornelia Funke sees herself above everyone and has completely fallen from grace, no but her writing and story-telling ability has in my opinion definitely declined since "Inkheart".
In "Reckless", the first book in the series Funke borrowed elements from several fairy tales and wove them together in a way that was so creative, poetic and original. Her writing style was eloquent yet simple which allowed her to reach out across various audiences and obtain a wide readership. Her world building was well out of this world.
In "Fearless" this all just goes out the window, like the talent of the fallen Hollywood star. Her writing is mediocre at best and the characters went from being multidimensional beings on a mission to well characters that were wandering around aimlessly without any kind of purpose. Just there to be the author's puppets and nothing more. The writing was so poor and convoluted in some parts that I had to re-read several paragraphs just to find out what was happening. It seems to me that when Funke wrote this she omitted several details that were obvious to her, the creator but were probably not that obvious to the reader. I don't think it would have killed her to maybe elaborate upon some of this as I feel the lack of detail in some parts really made it harder for me to immerse myself in the story.
I was considering reading the next book in the series but I sadly feel that it is probably going to go in the same direction as this one.
What's so unfortunate is that this story had so much potential and Funke never really did anything with it. I would give this a pass especially if you have read Funke's earlier works.
I know this probably isn't the nicest metaphor but this is truly how I view the book.
This book reminds me of a Hollywood starlet that rises to the top and unfortunately later becomes a train wreck. Bear with me for a moment.
Example: The actor makes their film debut in a movie that is both critically and commercially successful as was the first book in this series. The movie has a plot that is so incredibly original to the point where it can be considered a well known film or in some cases a modern day classic.
After making several successful films the actor sees itself as being above everyone and assumes that because they are a big name that everyone wants to work with them (or in this case read their work). The actor then feels the pressures of fame and falls down the wrong path that is so typical of many Hollywood starlets. This eventually leads to their fall from grace.
In order to salvage their broken career they make cheap, crappy films in an effort to make themselves feel like they still got their game and will one day make a legendary comeback.
Am I saying Cornelia Funke sees herself above everyone and has completely fallen from grace, no but her writing and story-telling ability has in my opinion definitely declined since "Inkheart".
In "Reckless", the first book in the series Funke borrowed elements from several fairy tales and wove them together in a way that was so creative, poetic and original. Her writing style was eloquent yet simple which allowed her to reach out across various audiences and obtain a wide readership. Her world building was well out of this world.
In "Fearless" this all just goes out the window, like the talent of the fallen Hollywood star. Her writing is mediocre at best and the characters went from being multidimensional beings on a mission to well characters that were wandering around aimlessly without any kind of purpose. Just there to be the author's puppets and nothing more. The writing was so poor and convoluted in some parts that I had to re-read several paragraphs just to find out what was happening. It seems to me that when Funke wrote this she omitted several details that were obvious to her, the creator but were probably not that obvious to the reader. I don't think it would have killed her to maybe elaborate upon some of this as I feel the lack of detail in some parts really made it harder for me to immerse myself in the story.
I was considering reading the next book in the series but I sadly feel that it is probably going to go in the same direction as this one.
What's so unfortunate is that this story had so much potential and Funke never really did anything with it. I would give this a pass especially if you have read Funke's earlier works.
July 11, 2013
I liked "Reckless," the first novel in this trilogy, and I gave it three stars out of a possible five; but for me it was a little lacking in depth and in character development. Now, in retrospect, I see it as setting the stage for "Fearless," which is in almost every way significantly better than the introductory volume. "Fearless" starts slowly but after about a third of the book or so rapidly morphs into an exciting tale with characters about whom I really cared. The bulk of the book is a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" set in a magical alternative Europe (complete with older but historically grounded names for its component parts). The similarities are actually quite striking: Jacob and Nerron (the Bastard) are two very skilled rival treasure hunters cast from the same mold as Indiana Jones and René Belloq, respectively, and they end up searching for a powerful artifact (in this case, a crossbow) during a succession of cliffhangers that evoke the swashbuckling adventure movies that the Indiana Jones movies evoked. Add to this that Jacob, having been cursed by a fairy (not one of the mostly harmless diminutive Victorian-era creatures, but a far more dangerous being true to the original stories from Nordic and Germanic lore) in the first book, is dying. Complications abound, and there's a deal with the devil (or at least with a mysterious character named "Norebo"--hint: spell it backwards) the full ramifications of which are going to have to wait for the third novel. There's also a well-crafted and touching growing relationship between Jacob and a shape-shifting half-human half-vixen named Fox. If you haven't read "Reckless," read it and the first third of "Fearless" just for the admission price of the roller coaster that comprises the rest of the book. If I could award 4-1/2 stars, I would (and I wouldn't argue with anyone who gave it five). An excellent read!
January 26, 2020
Auch der 2. Teil überzeugt mich wieder total! Man taucht immer weiter in die Spiegelwelt ein, lernt ihre Länder und Wesen besser kennen und - was mir wahnsinnig gefällt - die "Beziehung" zwischen Jacob und Fuchs. Ich mag die beiden so sehr! Die Geschichte hier ist ebenso spannend wie in Band 1. Jetzt werde ich noch Band 3 lesen, an den ich mich gar nicht mehr richtig erinnern kann. Es bleibt spannend!
April 21, 2015
asdfghjkl I can't.
Oh my god. I love the first one of the Mirrorworld series, and it became my favourite book. But after this latest instalment...
When I say it's perfect beyond belief I'm not exaggerating. This book should be far more well-known.
Reckless Reckless was brilliant, with crime, action, romance, adventure, fantasy and all that. But Fearless, has all this, but takes everything to a completely new level.
We get to know Jacob and Fox's relationship better and I was almost in tears at several points.
I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, no matter what their age, or taste in books. It's just too perfect to describe.
Oh my god. I love the first one of the Mirrorworld series, and it became my favourite book. But after this latest instalment...
When I say it's perfect beyond belief I'm not exaggerating. This book should be far more well-known.
Reckless Reckless was brilliant, with crime, action, romance, adventure, fantasy and all that. But Fearless, has all this, but takes everything to a completely new level.
We get to know Jacob and Fox's relationship better and I was almost in tears at several points.
I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, no matter what their age, or taste in books. It's just too perfect to describe.
October 17, 2018
Funke's writing is so beautiful and Mirrorworld is stunning - I love that Funke mix folklore with reality and that the magic in the Mirrorworld is dark and cruel and... beautiful? I can't believe I am saying this, but it works out beautifully. And I love both main characters. They are so stubborn I want to shake them a bit, but they both have amazing characters and they grow on me more and more with every book!
January 19, 2021
Band 1 dieser Reihe fand ich ja schon super, aber dieser zweite Band konnte das noch einmal toppen! Ich liebe es einfach, dass überall Hinweise auf versteckte Märchen zu finden sind. Außerdem bekommt Fuchs eine größere Rolle und die Suche nach der Armbrust, um Jacob zu retten, war unglaublich spannend. Cornelia Funke ist einfach eine Meisterin im Erzählen!
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