Inkdeath is the third volume of the Inkheart trilogy. The story of Meggie, her parents, and the other characters picks up where Inkspell left off. By the end of Inkspell, a central character, Dustfinger, had been taken away by the White Women; and the evil Adderhead had been made immortal by Meggie’s father, Mo, in a bargain to win his family’s life and freedom.
Inkdeath begins with the quest (mainly of the boy Farid) to bring Dustfinger back into the Inkworld. The main part of the plot, however, revolves around the adventures of the Bluejay, Mo’s chosen identity when he is with the Black Prince and his men. It is a classic struggle of good against evil. At the heart of the struggle lies Mo’s goal of reversing the damage he did by making the Adderhead immortal. The Adderhead must die in order for good to win out.
At the core of the Inkheart is the interweaving of fiction and reality and the erasing of boundaries between worlds. The central premise of the first book is that someone with the gift to do so can read characters out of books and people into books. At first we know only that Meggie’s father, Mo, can do it, but later we find out there are others as well.
Coming in at 563 pages and 81 chapters, Inkdeath is a book of considerable heft, especially for smaller (younger) hands. The plot takes many turns, but not especially difficult to follow. The relatively short chapters neatly break the big book into manageable bites.
Since I have read both prior volumes it is a bit difficult for me to judge whether it could stand on its own, but I believe it can. I was a bit disappointed with the second volume, Inkspell. Whatever apprehensions I had about Inkdeath, however, soon disappeared. In this book Ms. Funke once again weaves a magic tapestry of two (or more?) worlds and takes her readers on a fantastic adventure. The characters are developed further and really come alive. The twists and turns of the plot keep you turning the pages in fear, anticipation, hope and joy. The descriptions of the Inkworld and its inhabitants leave enough room for the readers’ imaginations to take flight.
Originally my 11-year old son (who has also read the first two volumes) was supposed to read and review Inkdeath. Unfortunately, school work got in the way. He will most certainly read it eventually, and I hope he will enjoy it as much as I did.
--Tiina Medel
imagineatrium.com
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2 comments:
Hi,
I'm 12 years old and got Inkdeath for my birthday. Mine has 79 chapters and 699 pgs. Do the both contain the same text.
Thanx
Our copy was a a review copy, which might differ in format (number of pages, chapters, etc) from the final, edited version of the book. But yes, it is the same text. Hope you liked it!
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