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A Worthy Successor To Inkheart Dec 3, 2005 (29 of 34 found this helpful)
Meggie. Mo, Dustfinger, and Farid return, and for some the return is to the land the characters sprang from in Inkheart. Clever to the point of confusion, there are warring princes, fire giving fairies, and pet grizzly bears to contend with as well as a vengeful Mother out to destroy her son's killer. Three quarters of the way through I had no idea how this was all going to wrap up, and the answers are surely still out there since the book ends in less a cliff hanger and more a simple stop. Extremely engaging as the first book was, and a must for any young person or adult who believes in the power and the magic of the written word.
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Can somebody read me into this book also? Oct 5, 2005 (13 of 14 found this helpful)
What a wonderful magical trip this book was! I didn't think a sequel could be as original and enchanting as the first book, Inkheart, was. Boy was I wrong! I was surprised to find that I enjoyed Inkspell even more. Cornelia Funke takes you into the fairytale land that you hear so much about in the first book. And what an amazing place this is filled with glassmen, blue fairies and fire elves. We learn more about the fascinating Dustfinger and the real reason why he was so anxious to get home. And the bookworld is as dangerous, if not more so, then the real world.
Ms. Funke is a truly talented writer who does a terrific job drawing her readers into her character's worlds. She does a great job providing a realistic portrayal of how her characters react in trying times, making them more complex. It also helps to bring the characters to life.
I also think that this is a terrific translation of the original. Translations can feel stilted (a little like the Thief Lord) which can affect the flow of words. However, this translation was excellent and smooth.
All in all, I must give this book 5 stars for originality, character development, quality of writing, and entertainment value.
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The Characters Have a Love For Books Just Like Us Sep 23, 2005 (110 of 142 found this helpful)
After reading "The Thief Lord", I was truly hooked by Cornelia Funke's style of writing which led me to "Inkheart" and "Inkspell". Very absorbing and deep. She truly takes you into her world with words and imagery.
"Inkspell", as with it's predecessor "Inkheart", is a love for both books and reading. Many of this book's characters are also characters in the book in their own universe. The characters that come to life for us also come to life in the book.
A slightly confusing concept to explain. Nevertheless, it's a wonderful fantasy aimed for a slightly higher age group (12 and up). I was happy to learn that this is only the second book in a Trilogy. There's one last installment planned.
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FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!! Aug 2, 2006 (8 of 8 found this helpful)
I don't get how people could hate this book and give it one star. Many of the people who gave it a bad review complained about how boring it was or that there were too many details, and the book was long. I loved how she used details, it just made the pictures of the scenery and charactors more clear in my mind. I just think people who thought that the book was boring and had too many details have no imagination at all! I admitt I liked the first one better, but this one was really good. So I give it two thumbs up and five stars all the way. Good job Cornelia! People who read the first book, you have to get the second one, because you will always wonder what was so good or bad about the second book!
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The Plot Thickens ... Oct 11, 2005 (11 of 12 found this helpful)
I heard a lot about Cornelia Funke's Inkheart book just a few weeks ago, and quickly went to the library and got it. The book was great, though in my opinion it did not live up to the hype that people gave it. I decided to read the sequel, though. And, in my opinion, Inkspell does the job amazingly.
In this second book, Funke makes the story she began in Inkheart startlingly more complex, and gives every character so much depth and so many dimensions that it is difficult to form a firm opinion about anyone. I got this book from the "Young Adult" section of the library, but the themes that are prevalent throughout the book- life and death, fate vs. free will- and the characters that grow so significantly in its 600+ pages are ones that can keep an adult fully occupied and thinking well into the night.
In Inkspell, Funke brings the characters from Inkheart back to the Inkworld Fenoglio had created. Eventually, almost all of them end up back there, from the evil Mortola and Basta to the beloved Mo and Meggie. The character who takes the shine from everyone, though, is Dustfinger. He is far and beyond the most complex character in the story, and I loved every page he was on because so many subtle nuances were added to his personality. For him alone, Inkspell is worth reading.
But if he isn't enough for you, then perhaps a conscience-stricken Fenoglio, or a lovestruck Farid will draw you in. Or a princess nicknamed Her Ugliness who promises to be very important as the series continues. Or the new reader, with the most beautiful voice of all, Orpheus.
Whatever it is that draws you in, I think you'll be hooked very quickly. Cheesy as it sounds, Inkspell really does weave a spell around you, and I am really, really looking forward to the next books in this series.