Inkdeath (Inkheart Trilogy)
by Cornelia Funke
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Book Reviews of Inkdeath (Inkheart Trilogy)
Book Review: I Love Inkdeath
Summary: 5 Stars
Inkdeath, Cornelia Funke's stunning ending to the Inkheart Trilogy, takes place in a magical world that has come to life from the pages of a book in which anything can happen. I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. I found it to be one of those books that is impossible to put down. It really draws you in and is full of cliffhangers. It is the story of people who originally lived in our world but have traveled to a magical place called the Inkworld after a special book was read aloud. At the time that this story takes place, the Adderhead, a villainous king, is immortal. This book is about the Bluejay, a robber who resembles Robin Hood, and his family and friends and their plight to take away the Adderhead's immortality. It is a marvelous book because of its excellent characters and plot.
The characters in Inkdeath are one of the aspects of the story that make it so great. There are quite a few characters in this book, and each one is very different. The characters draw you into the story because they seem so realistic. Although the protagonists are full of kindness and bravery, none of them are perfect. An example of one of these characters is Fenoglio, a writer who can control the Inkworld but who is always either exceedingly vain or convinced that he is a failure. Because the characters are so human, it is easy to relate to them. Another way that Cornelia Funke makes the characters seem more real is the way in which the story is told. Every chapter is told from a different character's point of view. This makes is easier to understand the characters and their decisions. The villains in this story are very disgusting and evil and many of them are characters that you love to hate. The following quote is an example of the way Cornelia Funke makes the Adderhead, one of these villains, seem so real and loathsome that readers will cringe everytime they read the Adderhead's name. The quote comes from the time in the story when Orpheus, another villain, first meets the Adderhead. "And of course Fenoglio's description had said nothing about that devastated face, the pale and puffy flesh, the swollen hands. Every step the Adderhead took seemed to hurt him. His eyes were bloodshot under their heavy lids. They watered even in the sparse candlelight, and the stench given off by his bloated body made Orpheus want desperately to cover his own mouth and nose." (Pgs. 375-376). The vivid way that the characters are descibed and the faults in all of the characters that make them seem human make Inkdeath an excellent book.
The plot of Inkdeath is another well done aspect that makes this book so excellent. There are many different conflicts that are woven together in this story; each of the main characters seems to have his or her own worries. There is also the major conflict, the Bluejay's battle with the Adderhead, with which all of the characters are involved in some way. All of the miniature conflicts and climaxes make the story more interesting. This is a very suspenseful story and is almost impossible to put down once you start reading it. Every time things seem absolutely hopeless and it seems that the characters can find no way to solve all of their numerous problems, something happens to turn things around. Likewise, every time things seem to be going well and the end seems to be in sight, something happens to take away that momentary hope. This balance really keeps the reader hooked and makes this an enjoyable story.
Many people with different tastes in books will love this story. It is a book for people of both genders and all ages. Lovers of adventure will especially like this book because it is so full of excitement. Fantasy lovers will also enjoy this book because it is full of magic and fantastic creatures that are described in vivid detail. However, I think that people who take joy in other genres of books will also like this book because of it's wonderful characters and plot. I think that lovers of such books as The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter novels will enjoy this book because those books are like Inkdeath in many ways. Many different people will enjoy Inkdeath because it tells a lovely story full of courageous heroes and loathsome villains.
Inkdeath has many similarities to the first two books in this trilogy, but there are also some striking differences between it and the others. Overall, Inkdeath is more similar to Inkspell than to Inkheart. Inkheart takes place in the regular world and its main villain is a man named Capricorn. Both Inkspell and Inkdeath, however, take place in the Inkworld, and among the many villains present, the Adderhead is a main one. One difference between Inkspell and Inkdeath is that all of the characters are working on fixing their own separate problems in Inkspell, whereas in Inkdeath all of the characters have their own worries but are more focused on working to save the Inkworld. Another difference is that two main characters, Meggie and Farid, are no longer very much in love with each other in Inkdeath. This is a big change from Inkspell where there was a lot of time devoted to them being in love. Also, I think that Inkspell is darker and scarier than Inkdeath is. Though Inkdeath has several important differences from the other books in this series, I think that fans of the series will very much enjoy this conclusion to the story of the Inkworld.
Overall, Inkdeath is a very entertaining novel. It is very suspenseful and full of adventure. The characters seem very real because they all have weaknesses and find some challenges very hard to overcome. There are some things that I would have done differently had I been the author, but generally I think that both the plot of the story and the way that the story is told are excellent. I highly recommend this book both to people who have read the earlier books in the series and to those who have not, because I think that this book is the best in the series.
Book Review: The book is fantastic. A page turner. I read the 663 pages in three days and a half, and Book three is the perfect ending
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the last installment of the Inkheart series.
In the first one, Inkheart, Meggie's father Mo has been hiding from town to town for nine years. So much that their van is more of a house than their present abode.
One night, a strange character by the name of Dustfinger comes to their house to warn Mo about Capricorn. They all escape to a castle owned by Meggie's aunt, Elinor, a spinster that has spent all her life collecting books. Here they are captured by Capricorn's men, as Dustfinger gives them way. The bad men steal a strange book from Mo.
Unbeknown to Meggie, Mo has an interesting talent: when he reads aloud, things, and sometimes people, come out of their stories and into the real world! (Silvertongue) Unfortunately things from the outside world may also go back inside the stories.
Even though Mo works at restoring books and owns a large amount of then, he stopped reading aloud nine years ago when Meggie's mother disappeared as he created Capricorn and Dustfinger. They were characters in a book titled Inkheart, the book that was stolen that night.
The evil Capricorn wants to use Mo's talents to bring himself great wealth and power. He destroys the last known copy of the book, so Mo searches the author of the book, Fenoglio, who is also captured by Capricorn's men
After escaping from Capricorn's village, they all go separate ways and Meggie discovers that Mo isn't the only one who can read things to life. So can she.<
This is an enchanting story full of adventure, suspense, and magic. The characters are vivid and delightful. Unlike many books for younger readers there is a distinct emphasis on the importance of family as seen in the close relationship between Meggie and her father. Lightly magical, humorous, and fun, Inkheart will appeal to those who like adventure and fantasy, and to anyone who ever wished a story could come to life.
Inkspell - second installment
It is one year after the first book (Inkheart). Capricorn is dead, and Meggie, and her father, Mortimer (Mo), have settled at aunt Elinor's castle, after rescuing Meggie's mother, Resa, Dustfinger - the fire talker, was sent back to the Inkheart book (at the end of book one) and Farid (who was read out of a book by Mo) was very attached to him. Farid convinces Meggie to read them back to the book, since Meggie wants to see the world inside the infamous book and Farid wants to save Dustfinger, who is supposed to die in the original story. She is successful.
Meanwhile, Orpheus, another Silvertongue is brought to Elinor's castle with two evil characters from the frirst book, Basta one of Capricorn's men, and Mortola, Capricorn's mother. Orpheus reads Resa, Mo, Basta and Mortola back into Inkheart.
The action happens in the book of Inkheart, where its author, Fenoglio, was left in the first part of the series.
It is now Meggie's task to read Fenoglios changes to the original "Inkheart" to prevent Dustfinger's death and at the same time save her family from the new misfortunes created by this editing.
Inkdeath
Starts where Inkspell left off. Dustfinger is death--he died saving Farid, his apprentice. Orpheus reads Mo and Resa back into Inkheart. Mo had tricked the evil Adderhead by binding a book for his immortality to save himself and his family. The book is deteriorating and the Adderhead is slowly rotting. He wishes revenge from the Songbird. Help by Orpheus, he tries to capture the Bluejay. Mo, has made a deal with death (The white Women) to kill the Adderhead before winter ends or he and his daughter Meggie will be taken. Mo has to write the three words in the book pf eternal life to kill the Adderhead.
Violante, who has fallen in love with the Bluejay conjures a plan to kill her father. But there is a duel between Orpheus and Fenoglio to control the words that shape the history.
There is a hope that all will end well, if only the words could be found to write a happy ending.
Nothing is more true about these series where "the spoken word is nothing, it hardly lives longer than an insect! Only the written word is eternal!"...Books, "They may last longer, yes, but they breathe only when someone opens the book. They are sound pressed between the pages and only a voice can bring them to life...and the paper makes them immortal."
As you can see from these quotes, the realm of reality is quite complicated in this second installment of the series.
You have people that can read characters out or into books (Mo, Meggie, and Orpheus). Then you have people who can read themselves into fiction books (Meggie). Then you have the author of the fictional book who is now inside the book he wrote and trying to edit different endings from the original book. Death may happen in our world or in the fictional world. The only think that is true is:
"All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down." Nietzsche
The book is fantastic. A page turner. I read the 663 pages in three days and a half, and Book three is the perfect ending to the Inkheart Trilogy.
Book Review: I wanted to love it....I tried to love it.... But I just coudn't get there
Summary: 3 Stars
Oh, how excited I was to get my hands on Inkdeath, I am a huge fan of Inkheart and Inkspell and after waiting so long for the finale I was ravenous to see how and where the end would come. Just looking at the cover thrilled me. it's beautiful, one of the best I've seen. I traded sleep for just a few more pages and couldn't wait to pick it up again in my free time. I so wanted to write a glowing, fantastic review, I wanted to say that this was one of the best series conclusions ever and that it cemented my love of the trilogy, but I can't do either of things things. When I closed the book after the last page I couldn't help feeling unsettled at the way some of my favorite characters where treated and at a loss as to why Cornelia Funke would choose that direction, Though I was overll very pleased with the book.
The trouble with getting to attached to a story is that, when it ends as all stories must there is at least a chance that the the conclusion will rain all over your parade. which is what happend to me. Except that the rain was more more of a torential down pour, with huricane force winds, and lightning. Just so we'er clear it's not that I'm disappointed with the ending of Inkheart. It works really well, So why the let down. Well I'm writing this the night after finishing the book, so I havn't had a chance to process everything yet. But I can't help feeling that Funke through some major characters under the bus and just kind of left them there. My problem started with the fact that Meggie plays a greatly dominished role in the third installment. I was suprised to find her so much changed, she moved almost to the side of the story, and just doesn't do that much. I found myself often frustrated with her throughout the book and ultimately found her to be a much weaker and almost boring character then she was in the previous two novels. I also found myself upset by the way Darius was treated. I mean I knew his main purpose would evenually be to read Elinor over to the ink world, but what I hadn't expected was that after he'd done it, that he would dissapear into a sea of incidental characters. It just seems a poor way to repay his loyalty. Next, I can except what happend with Meggie and Farid, it doesn't thrill me, but I'm ok with it. what bothers me is this. Farid was a flawed but basicly good character, sure he made some pretty large mistakes in Inkdeath and was annoying in that special teenage boy way, But I don't think he deserved the way things went. Not only does Farid not get the girl, but he gets replaced by a completely new character that was just too perfect, and not only is this the guy that replaces Farid but there's a scene between Meggie and Fenoglio, that pretty much tells you that she will eventually end up marrying Mr pefect. I'm not sure way but it made me sad for Muggie to miss out on the suprise of finding that out in the course of time, sort of like the worlds biggest spoiler. After all the time we've spent with him and all the trouble Cornelia went to in previous books to paint him into the center of the story. In the end Farid literally just walks away leaving Dustfinger behind. And I said WHAT?
Inkdeath has pacing issues, there are places where it just crawls, places where the detail overwhelms the story, and more then a few times where information is repeated over and over again. I don't mean to be all gloom and doom, there where quite a few times that the magic was there and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough Inkdeath has a lot of twists that you wouldn't expect and several times I held my breath, both in awe of the authors creativity and fear for what would become of these beloved characters. So no disappointed is not the the right word. Cofused maybe and more then a little sad beause when Inkdeath was over, I found that I wasn't sad that it was done and that is not a good feeling when you started out loving a series but now it's just not the same.
Book Review: A powerful statement of the power of reading, writing and storytelling to literally change the world
Summary: 5 Stars
It's been five years since German author Cornelia Funke's novel INKHEART was first published in English. Since then, the absorbing fantasy, which focuses on characters who can travel in and out of worlds simply by reading books aloud, has captivated millions of fans and will even be made into a feature film in 2009. Now, the story that began with INKHEART and continued in INKSPELL comes full circle with INKDEATH.
The central character of the first two books was Meggie, a girl whose father, the bookbinder Mo, has the wonderful and dangerous ability to bring fictional characters to life when he reads aloud. Since the beginning of the series, Meggie and Mo have spent most of their time trying to get characters from the Inkworld back where they belong, while rescuing people from their world --- including Meggie's mother, Resa --- who have been drawn into the fictional one. Over the course of two rich, adventurous novels, Meggie and Mo have become intimately involved with the lives of dozens of others --- from their world and the Inkworld --- and have been drawn, sometimes against their will, into the increasingly ugly political machinations of the unstable Inkworld.
At the opening of INKDEATH, the evil Adderhead has taken control of the great city of Ombra and --- thanks to Mo's unwilling involvement --- has received the gift of eternal life. Mo, who has now gained notoriety as the robber Bluejay, is involved in nightly campaigns to protect Inkworld villagers from the Adderhead's terrorist marauders who roam the countryside. Meanwhile, Meggie pines for her friend (and possibly more) Farid, who has become a de facto slave to the criminal Orpheus, who uses his own ability to bring words to life to create (and then have Farid dig up) buried treasure all over the Inkworld. As for Farid, he lives in the ever-dwindling hope that Orpheus will somehow be able to bring Dustfinger (who sacrificed his own life to revive Farid's) back to life.
As one might be able to guess from the book's title, all does not end well for all the characters readers have come to care about during the series, and its themes are far more complex and mature than its predecessors. Not all is entirely bleak, however --- plenty of twists and turns, not to mention some compelling new characters, will keep audiences on the edge of their seats even as Funke gives them new thematic material to consider.
Funke herself comes to INKDEATH with a new and sober perspective. As she writes in a moving author's note, her husband of 26 years passed away shortly before the novel's 2007 publication in Germany. In the end, though, the Inkheart trilogy is not only an emotionally absorbing, thematically rich fantasy series. It's also a powerful statement of the power of reading, writing and storytelling to literally change the world.
--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Book Review: Great story!
Summary: 5 Stars
In reading other reviews about this trilogy, some people seemed concerned that some characters were not as present as they would have liked in this book. As a reader who really gets attached to a book's characters, I can understand this concern. However, as I read this trilogy, I found that my first impressions of who the significant characters were changed over time as did their importance to the story and new ones introduced. For example, in Inkheart, I just could not put the book down because I had to find out what happens to Dustfinger who had been an unwilling addition to our "real world" and was so desperate to get back home to the "Inkworld". What must that be like!?
Inkspell, to me, was a wonderful bridge between Inkheart and Inkdeath and helps the reader to better appreciate and understand Inkdeath with many important events contained within its pages. Some issues are resolved and some new ones occur. It is quite a page turner as well.
In the end, I have to say that Inkdeath is my favorite book of the trilogy. After reading all three books, I have come to the conclusion that, for me at least, the main character in the series is Mo. It was pure joy to watch this character grow and to learn what kind of man he actually is. There were many fine hints of who he is in the first two books but you really find out in Inkdeath. There are many poignant scenes in this book regarding him. My favorite such scene is when Resa helplessly has to watch Mo ride through the castle gates...alone...in the face of great danger. A reader can greatly feel her extreme pain, fear, and pride, all at the same time, as she watches this man of immense courage, who belongs to her, do what he has to do. (This scene also clearly shows why the "White Women" loved Mo's "heart" as well as his voice so much). Beautifully written!
I highly recommend this trilogy to you. Beware, though! Try not to get caught up in the action and read Inkdeath at too fast a pace. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat; and if you let your eyes fly over the pages too quickly, you will miss some subtle, very important clues which help to make so much more sense of the story in the end that you are left thinking...well, that was clever! I say this because I found myself constantly rereading in an effort to try to catch up with what I missed in my haste to find out what would happen to Mo! And, the ending is quite surprising. (Ugh!!! It was so hard not to read the last few chapters before the story took me there!)
Anyway, if you decide to read this trilogy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It would probably be a good idea to read all three books and in order so that your reading experience with this story will be so much richer.
Thanks for reading my review.