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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Somehow, this installment didn’t get me quite as much as Reckless did – though there was still a sense of urgency (probably even more so, since it was more life or death instead of a race against a skin of stone). Maybe it was the shift from Jacob’s devotion and unrestrained brotherly love for Will to the relationship between Jacob and Fox, as they learn to recognize just what they are to each other. To go from Jacob being entirely selfless in wanting to save his brother to having him be desperate to save himself and not let down Fox was quite a shift, and one that I guess I was not quite ready for. It was not bad -- far from it – but for some reason it was not as engulfing for me, almost not quite as persuasive. Which does not make much sense, because Fox and Jacob are so well-filled out in who they are, and how their understanding of each other is portrayed to the reader. Maybe it was because so much of it was them dancing around being straight-up honest with themselves, even though their feelings were written all over their hearts and even clear as day to one another: their feelings for each other were the elephant in the room.
As for everything that Fox and Jacob go through on their quest to save Jacob’s life – the Mirrorworld keeps getting bigger and bigger, and so much more complex. I felt the urgency of their quest, at least mostly – when Alma warned Jacob about the pain to come, I kind of expected. Norebo Johann Earlking, from the first I saw your name I started to suspect who you might be – and after certain events and a certain character’s reaction at the end of the novel, well, this is just getting more and more interesting! I also liked having Nerron, the Goyl treasure hunter, get his own chapters, not only for seeing what he was up to on the quest/race against Jacob, but also for the extra glimpses we got of Goyl culture through him. He too was painted quite complexly, and I enjoyed that he was not just a simple rival to Jacob, that he had nuances to his desires and actions as well, and was not a classic cut-and-dry antagonist/villain.
Now my only regret is that I get to read the third book right away… and will have to wait for the fourth book to come out!
A few quotes, and some commentary:
Eaumbre – page 130 – Clever, if you know French. Eau = water (pronounced like “oh”), and “ombre” = shadow – so his name means “water shadow”
The floor of the carafe was now covered with a milky white puddle. – page 279 – kind of strange to me to say “floor”—I’d usually use “bottom”
“[…] A downside of such a long life. After just a hundred years or so, everybody becomes so predictable, transparent, like glass. Every virtue, every sin, every weakness…nothing but endless repetition. Every ambition—seen it a thousand times. Illusions, lost a hundred times over, all hope childish, all innocence a joke… […] What remains is death. And the search for that perfect thrust. Death in its most…immaculate form.” – page 309
Jacob had spent years looking for one of the hourglasses that stopped time, for the Empress. He’d never understood why this was one of the most coveted treasures one could find behind the mirror. There had never been a moment he’d wanted to hold on to forever. The next one always had more promise, and even the most glorious day began to taste stale after a few hours. But now he was lying in the stable of a child-eater, his arm sliced open and death in his chest, wishing for an hourglass. He waved away a will-o’-the-wisp that had settled on Fox’s brow—they often brought bad dreams—and brushed the hair from her sleeping face.
[…] Was it possible to escape death too long? Could there be too much life? It was hard to believe that on a night like this. – page 318
As for everything that Fox and Jacob go through on their quest to save Jacob’s life – the Mirrorworld keeps getting bigger and bigger, and so much more complex. I felt the urgency of their quest, at least mostly – when Alma warned Jacob about the pain to come, I kind of expected
Spoiler
there to be more constancy to it, instead of just sudden fierce painNow my only regret is that I get to read the third book right away… and will have to wait for the fourth book to come out!
A few quotes, and some commentary:
Spoiler
No human on either side of the mirror was ever born with magical powers, but in this world there was a way to acquire them. – page 73 – What about Maggie and Mo? (Inkheart) On her site, Ms. Funke says that the Inkheart trilogy takes place in the Mirrorworld, just about 500 years earlier. Unless they managed to lay low the rest of their lives in the Mirrorworld/Inkworld, and take their secrets with them…. Now I’m curious to know what became of them!Eaumbre – page 130 – Clever, if you know French. Eau = water (pronounced like “oh”), and “ombre” = shadow – so his name means “water shadow”
The floor of the carafe was now covered with a milky white puddle. – page 279 – kind of strange to me to say “floor”—I’d usually use “bottom”
“[…] A downside of such a long life. After just a hundred years or so, everybody becomes so predictable, transparent, like glass. Every virtue, every sin, every weakness…nothing but endless repetition. Every ambition—seen it a thousand times. Illusions, lost a hundred times over, all hope childish, all innocence a joke… […] What remains is death. And the search for that perfect thrust. Death in its most…immaculate form.” – page 309
Jacob had spent years looking for one of the hourglasses that stopped time, for the Empress. He’d never understood why this was one of the most coveted treasures one could find behind the mirror. There had never been a moment he’d wanted to hold on to forever. The next one always had more promise, and even the most glorious day began to taste stale after a few hours. But now he was lying in the stable of a child-eater, his arm sliced open and death in his chest, wishing for an hourglass. He waved away a will-o’-the-wisp that had settled on Fox’s brow—they often brought bad dreams—and brushed the hair from her sleeping face.
[…] Was it possible to escape death too long? Could there be too much life? It was hard to believe that on a night like this. – page 318
Wonderful, dark, fun. Love the characters, love the plot, love the world. I was sad to reach the end of the book and hope the next in the series doesn't take another three years to come out. Because I want it right now. There's so much imagination in this series. And, fyi, this book is one example of a romance I can appreciate.
Spoilers for Reckless beyond this point. You have been warned.
Fearless picks up in the middle of Jacob's search to discover a cure for the fatal curse placed on him by the Red Fairy, the price he paid to save his brother. He has exhausted every magical item he can think of, except one: the Witch Slayer's Crossbow, which would bring its owner unlimited power. This item is Jacob's last hope, but the search is made more difficult by a competitor, a Goyl nicknamed "The Bastard." Jacob and Fox must race against time and surpass the efforts of the Goyl treasure hunter if they want to find the crossbow before the curse is fulfilled.
As in Reckless, the dark, fairy tale world creates a rich, endlessly intriguing backdrop. Jacob and Fox are fantastic, well-rounded, sympathetic characters and I'm rooting for them to end up together. The reason I'm a fan of the romance in this book is because it's born out of genuine caring for the other person. It's not all about the burning gazes of sultry, golden eyes or swooning or rippling muscles. It's about trust and attachment and affection. And attraction too, but not ONLY attraction. Funke focuses on what I feel are the more important, more fulfilling parts of romance.
This book's got everything going for it: great, imaginative setting; authentic characters; and a plot that moves at a consistent pace, keeps readers guessing, and leads to an even more exciting mystery that opens into what I'm sure will be the plot of the next book. And the writing is gorgeous. Cornelia Funke is the best.
Spoilers for Reckless beyond this point. You have been warned.
Fearless picks up in the middle of Jacob's search to discover a cure for the fatal curse placed on him by the Red Fairy, the price he paid to save his brother. He has exhausted every magical item he can think of, except one: the Witch Slayer's Crossbow, which would bring its owner unlimited power. This item is Jacob's last hope, but the search is made more difficult by a competitor, a Goyl nicknamed "The Bastard." Jacob and Fox must race against time and surpass the efforts of the Goyl treasure hunter if they want to find the crossbow before the curse is fulfilled.
As in Reckless, the dark, fairy tale world creates a rich, endlessly intriguing backdrop. Jacob and Fox are fantastic, well-rounded, sympathetic characters and I'm rooting for them to end up together. The reason I'm a fan of the romance in this book is because it's born out of genuine caring for the other person. It's not all about the burning gazes of sultry, golden eyes or swooning or rippling muscles. It's about trust and attachment and affection. And attraction too, but not ONLY attraction. Funke focuses on what I feel are the more important, more fulfilling parts of romance.
This book's got everything going for it: great, imaginative setting; authentic characters; and a plot that moves at a consistent pace, keeps readers guessing, and leads to an even more exciting mystery that opens into what I'm sure will be the plot of the next book. And the writing is gorgeous. Cornelia Funke is the best.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So... When does the next one comes out? I have so many questions I need answered! Great book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No