Reckless

"If you're looking for happily ever after, you've come to the wrong place."

Cornelia Funke is back! (And so am I...a new school year and new school building later, I am finally ready to share my reading with you again!)

I am in awe of the fantasy that Cornelia Funke creates. I was first mesmerized with Inkheart, one of my TOP TEN favorite books. Not only did I love the characters (Mo, Dustfinger, Elinor) and the dark world of villains (Capricorn) she wrote about, but I savored the references to reading and the book world she included in her story.

Now, I have Reckless to add to my list of great reads. In this gem, Cornelia Funke weaves in the world of fairy tales.

"Jacob Reckless, like his father before him, escapes into the Mirrorworld, and all is well until his younger brother, Will, follows him in and falls under the enchantment of the Dark Fairy. Through an injury, she turns him slowly into a Goyl, a person made of stone. Jacob is determined to rescue his brother and restore him to himself. Accompanied by his companion, a shape-shifter girl/vixen named Fox, and Will's girlfriend, Clara, Jacob journeys with Will to find the antidote to the spell. With a large cast, including a dwarf, powerful fairies born from water, deadly moths, man-eating sirens, unicorns, and the terrifying Tailor with fingers ending in blades and needles, the story includes multiple fairy-tale motifs as the characters grapple with fear and despair while on their seemingly hopeless quest." (- School Library Journal)

While at first I had a hard time grasping the Mirrorworld and the Goyl, a little bit of rereading was the trick to gain confidence in understanding this unique world. Once I had a firm grasp on this tale, I was able to sit back and let myself enjoy (sometimes with frequent nail-biting!) the world of Jacob Reckless.

I think fantasy readers will enjoy this book, but I will caution some younger, more inexperienced fantasy readers about reading this one. A little bit of language in this book along with a complicated fantasy world with many references to fairy tales might make Reckless a tough read for some.

If you are looking for a new fantasy series (this is definitely NOT over at the end), check out Reckless by Cornelia Funke. For more information, visit the book's website by clicking HERE. For more information about the author, visit her website HERE.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!