Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (The Inkworld Trilogy: Book 1)

A story within a story, Inkheart tells the tale of a book of the same name owned by Mortimer Folchart who is a book restorer who lives in a remote farmhouse with his 12-year-old daughter Meggie. Mo, as he is known to his daughter, has not told Meggie about his ‘gift’, that he can read characters out of books and that is why he never reads to her aloud. He has also not told her that whenever his magical reading voice summons someone out of a book that someone from this world disappears, like her mother disappeared nine years ago at the same time that Capricorn and his cruel henchmen appeared. Capricorn wants the book for himself and the will go to any lengths to get it. Dustfinger, also summoned from the book warns Mo that Capricorn is on his tail, but Dustfinger longs to be put back into the story from whence he came and he will do almost anything to get back so can Mo and Meggie truly trust him and how can Mo keep the book, his last link to Meggie’s mother, safe? A tale of kidnap, deceit, magic and murder, this is not a tale for the faint hearted!

A wonderfully written and original story; the characters of Meggie and Mo are warm and you truly care for them, as you do for Meggie’s feisty great-aunt Elinor. The character of Capricorn is as chilling as you would expect from someone with such a dark as ink heart and you feel both anger and pity in equal measure for Dustfinger the wandering fire eating performer. There are also plenty of interesting support characters too, not least Basta.

There are some sections of the book that are a fast paced and others that allow you to slow down and almost smell the tang of lemon and olive scent in the air of the Italian countryside where the book is set. It is a very thick book and not a size I would have thought of tackling at the age of 12 but if you are truly serious about reading then you will receive an awful lot of pleasure from persisting with this tale.

8/10 A tale of kidnap, deceit, magic and murder, this is not a tale for the faint hearted!

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6 positive reader review(s) for Inkheart

3 positive reader review(s) in total for the The Inkworld Trilogy series

Cornelia Funke biography

Inkheart reader reviews

from UK

I absolutely loved this book. The twists and turns in this book completely grasp you! I recommend this book to those who love fantasy and a little bit of thriller. When I read this book i was completely out of breath. It felt like I was in the story.
10/10 ()

from Canada

I really enjoyed this book because the plot was good, the characters were like actual people, the writing was beautiful and it just described a love of reading so accurately and in different ways.
10/10 ()

from Canada

This book (and series) was my first favorite book ever! The idea of disappearing into a book or bringing characters out is one I (and I'm sure most other book lovers) have dreamt of for a long time, and to see a story about just that come to life was a new form of magic. Cornelia Funke truly is an artist, and no matter how old I get it will always be one of my first choices to read during long trips or on cold winter days!
9/10 ()

from UK

It was good. Great story line and my favorite male character might have to be Dustfinger and my favorite female character would probably have to be Elinor. I didn't exactly like the ending but I'm excited to read the next two books!
8/10 ()

from Mexico

This book has wild fantasy that you can never keep your eyes out of. This is like Tinkerbell and Star Wars put together in story.
8/10 ()

from From

I LOVED this book! The sequels quickly wrap you in a world of wonder, magic, and fantasy. The idea is original, and the plot captivating. This series has been at the top of my list for years. I recommend it to anyone!
10/10 ()

9/10 from 7 reviews

All Cornelia Funke Reviews