Farewell to the Inkworld

Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke – The third and final book in the series that started with Inkheart and continued with Inkspell. This one neatly wraps up the loose ends for the various characters involved in the saga, including some like Mortola who had come to be largely neglected. The subplot of the Adderhead’s white book that granted him immortality is also brought to a conclusion. I never quite bought the white book anyway, but I guess it fits the themes, and I appreciated how it left the wicked ruler sick and decrepit. There’s quite a bit about the battle of words between Fenoglio, the original author of Inkheart; and Orpheus, a big fan of Fenoglio’s book who wants to change elements in it to suit himself. I have to wonder if Orpheus, who turns out to be one of the main villains despite his love for the story and its world, is meant as a commentary on fanfic writers. One element I found interesting about the trilogy as a whole is that we’re never really told what Inkheart (Fenoglio’s book, not Funke’s) is actually ABOUT. We’re introduced to a good amount of the world and its characters, and it’s pretty obvious who the villains are, but what about the heroes? Who was the original protagonist, and what were his goals? The fact that we never find out for sure is an interesting choice on Funke’s part. Anyway, the vast amount of plot threads and minor characters can get confusing, but fortunately this volume has a glossary to help out somewhat. Overall, I enjoyed both this book and the trilogy as a whole.