Fearless by Cornelia Funke
Chicken House, 2013. ISBN 978-1-906427-26-9.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Fans of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy
and The Thief Lord will enjoy her latest series called Mirrorworld,
which combines the natural human world we all know with a
fantastical 'faerie' world which mirrors our own but where magical
creatures, fairytale figures and legendary objects of folklore also
exist. Fearless is the second book in this new series,
following the adventures of the intrepid treasure hunter, Jacob
Reckless, as he travels in both of these worlds.
In the first book, Reckless, Jacob successfully saved his brother
Will from being permanently transformed into a Goyl, a stone being,
but at great cost to himself: he said the Dark Fairy's name and now
he bears the mark of a moth over his heart, a curse that will end
his life soon, unless he can somehow find a cure. However he
has already spent months searching in both worlds for that cure and
neither the All-Healing Apple, the Well of Eternal Youth nor the
blood of a northern Djinn has worked.
Fast running out of hope, Jacob leaves his unsuspecting brother Will
with Clara in the human world and journeys back through his father's
mirror to tell Fox, the female shapeshifter who is quickly becoming
the most important person in what's left of his remaining
life. But it is when he finds her, in the castle of the Dwarf
Valiant, that Jacob hears of a deadly crossbow, capable of slaying
entire army when its bolt is shot through the heart of the army's
leader. It is a prize that is worth a fortune, but that is not
why Jacob wants it; it was also once used to kill a dying man and so
end his torment, but instead it healed him. It may be Jacob's
last chance to end his curse.
The land of The Mirrorworld is a detailed and complex, multi-layered
world in true Funke style, drawing on the creatures and objects of
traditional folktales and reshaping them into a new creation all her
own. Those who've read the first book in the series would
presumably find this world more familiar, whereas the second book
relies on some prior knowledge of the fantasy world and previous
events for clarity. However, the characters of Jacob and Fox
are engaging and interesting, including their ever-growing closeness
and Jacob's ongoing search for his long-lost father.
Fearless is an action-driven Young Adult fantasy novel recommended
for adolescent readers and older. As always, Cornelia Funke
creates a great tale of adventure, combining suspense and effective
character development.
4 stars out of 5.
Kate Hall