Themes of guilt, love, abandonment, loyalty. The ending also leaves obvious room for a sequel.

But it is never really explained to my satisfaction why she decided to let him go. The ending is a bit contrived, with the Dark Fairy inexplicably releasing Will so that the author can give us a satisfying ending.

This makes for some excellent storytelling. Scenes that take place in an enchanted forest feature an Edward Scissorhands monster called The Tailor and the witches who lure children to their death with gingerbread cottages. However, there is a fascinating array of richly described characters, most notably the Goyle, who are humans who have become stone. The characters are a bit stock fantasy (cranky dwarves, for instance) and the storyline definitely takes precedence over character development. Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences.Īlthough the characters briefly begin as teens, the story jumps ahead 12 more years, so for the most part, the characters are not teens, but in their twenties. It is also quite edgy, as anything inspired by Grimm would be, but there is also a hefty dollop of violence and some sexuality, as well. Funke takes inspiration from Grimm’s fairy tales in this dark and richly satisfying fantasy.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke