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A review by agatelee
Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I read this as a kid, and the only thing I really remember is being disappointed that Meggie isn't involved or even there during the story's climax.
The first half of Inkdeath is slow and not much happens, but the second half is much more exciting. Like many fantasies, it features a lot of death and suffering for unnamed characters, but this does not largely affect the main characters. The plot is fun once it finally gets going, and the Mo vs. Bluejay identity crisis is an intriguing ongoing theme. I also found the hostile relationship Fenoglio has with his glass man interesting, especially since the glass men are one of his proudest creations as an author.
The first half of Inkdeath is slow and not much happens, but the second half is much more exciting. Like many fantasies, it features a lot of death and suffering for unnamed characters, but this does not largely affect the main characters. The plot is fun once it finally gets going, and the Mo vs. Bluejay identity crisis is an intriguing ongoing theme. I also found the hostile relationship Fenoglio has with his glass man interesting, especially since the glass men are one of his proudest creations as an author.
I finally identified why I'm not connecting with these characters emotionally. The writing jumps from one crisis point to the next, only acknowledging quiet moments of bonding and reflection as afterthoughts.
Finally, [Mo] sat by one of the ponds that had once been a giant's footprint... Only a few days ago he and Meggie had waded into one of the ponds to find out how deep the footprints were. The memory made him smile, although he was not in any smiling mood. (Page 191)
Mo and Meggie are the two most important characters in the story, yet in a 663 page book, there somehow wasn't enough space for us to see this moment play out? This is only the first example I noticed of this issue, and once I was looking for it, it was happening every 25 pages or so. At many major turning points, the narration tells us "this character is making this decision because of a conversation they had a few weeks ago where this emotional moment occurred." It would feel so much more impactful if we got to experience the emotional moment with the character, then in the moment of crisis, we wouldn't need any explanation because we already know how the character feels. Plus, then the action scenes would have more momentum because we wouldn't constantly be pausing the action to deliver a flashback.
An unnecessary love triangle is also introduced for Meggie. Unlike with Farid, the narration actually bothers to tell us about some of the cute moments they have together, so her relationship with the new guy feels (slightly) more fleshed out. I say it's unnecessary because if it were removed, it would change nothing about the rest of the story.
I realize I'm pointing out a lot of weak points, but I did genuinely enjoy the second half of the book. A lot of plans backfired in a "can't turn away from the trainwreck" kind of way, and that kept up a suspenseful underdog feeling. The ending was just okay, but the journey to get there made it worth it.
Overall, I found Inkdeath a fun story, though it took a while to get started. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Inkheart and Inkspell.
An unnecessary love triangle is also introduced for Meggie. Unlike with Farid, the narration actually bothers to tell us about some of the cute moments they have together, so her relationship with the new guy feels (slightly) more fleshed out. I say it's unnecessary because if it were removed, it would change nothing about the rest of the story.
I realize I'm pointing out a lot of weak points, but I did genuinely enjoy the second half of the book. A lot of plans backfired in a "can't turn away from the trainwreck" kind of way, and that kept up a suspenseful underdog feeling. The ending was just okay, but the journey to get there made it worth it.
Overall, I found Inkdeath a fun story, though it took a while to get started. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Inkheart and Inkspell.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death