Inkspell

Inkspell
by Cornelia Funke
translated from the German by Anthea Bell
YA fantasy. 635 pp.
Chicken House. 2005.
sequel to Inkheart

As I didn't realize Inkheart needed a sequel, it was a pleasant surprise to find that Funke had returned to this story. Especially since her last book, Dragon Rider, was rather blah. In this installment, rather than the characters coming out of a book into our world, Meggie, Mo, and Resa drop into the pages of Inkworld--Meggie willingly, Mo and Resa against their will.

Funke has again created an intriguing story. She's a master of description. As with Inkheart and The Thief Lord, the beginning is initially slow as she creates the setting and characters. But the conflict is compelling, and you find yourself anxious to see how everything is resolved.

My principal complaint with Inkspell is the overabundance of loose ends; I think she means to do another sequel. This may not be the case. Funke brings a German sensibility to her writing that doesn't compel her to give us a happy ending or tell us what happened to everyone--this is one of the reasons I loved The Thief Lord so much. However, nobody's story has been tied off at the end of this one. She even brings in a new character at the end. (Well, not technically new, as you have been watching him throughout the book, but he was peripheral to the main action and at the end he is brought into the main action.) So my assumption is that there will be another book. Sigh.

Regardless, Funke is a superb author, and I highly recommend her.