The Color of Revenge

October 15, 2024
Grades 4-7 It's been five years since Orpheus Gemelli disappeared up north, and Ombra has been in peacetime ever since. While Mortimer, Resa, Meggie, and the others have flourished and the troubles that began in Inkheart (2003) feel far away, Orpheus has spent the years scheming how to exact revenge. Dustfinger draws his greatest ire, and though Orpheus' power over words has deserted him, he discovers a dark magic that makes drawings just as powerful. With their loved ones' fates in the balance, Dustfinger, the Black Prince, and some newfound friends must band together to defeat Orpheus and this mysterious new brand of magic. This fascinating follow-up to the Inkheart trilogy shakes up the happily-ever-after formula, and though many familiar faces are sidelined, others finally get the chance to shine, and new characters slip in seamlessly. Split narrative duties give intriguing insights into Orpheus' misguided machinations, and a helpful recap and list of characters ease readers back into the delightful, if at times dark, world. A distinguished return to a compelling and complicated kingdom where love is the supreme form of power.

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November 1, 2024
Happily-ever-after isn't so easy to hang onto in the Inkworld. Sixteen years afterInkdeath, the blood-soaked conclusion to the trilogy that began withInkheart (2003), author Funke brings forth another dismal installment. Where the first book balanced delight and darkness, here rage and revenge suffuse the pages. Orpheus, defanged villain ofInkdeath, has discovered a way to punish his former idol, Dustfinger: He will have those Dustfinger loves painted into a book and thereby lure the Fire-Dancer to his doom. However, the drunken troubadour who acts as Orpheus' stooge makes a mistake, losing the model for Dustfinger's best friend, Nyame, the Black Prince. Thus, when Dustfinger heads off alone to confront Orpheus, Nyame can follow in hopes of keeping him safe. This novel is slender compared to Funke's previous doorstoppers, but it still feels overlong, with arbitrary magic and plot twists that feel perfunctory rather than organic to the story. Adding to the dragging pace is the often-turgid prose. The late Anthea Bell's translations of the first three books were full of power and grace; Schmitt Funke's translation of her mother's German text is characterized by awkward phrasing and malapropisms. As sentence gives way to leaden sentence, readers will be hard pressed to keep the pages turning. The characters, who are almost all adults, are mostly implied white; Nyame is Black. A slog. (dramatis personae)(Fantasy. 13-18)

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