Reckless

For years Jacob Reckless has been stepping through the unusual mirror in his family apartment from the modern world to a place peopled by beings of many varieties – a place where strange and violent things can happen. Initially, Jacob is in search of his father who disappeared mysteriously, but gradually the intriguing Mirrorworld, strange but yet familiar, takes hold of him. Things change though when younger brother Will follows him through the mirror.

The land in which they find themselves is rent by war between the Goyle, human-like but made from stone, and the armies of Empress Therese of Austry. Gradually the Goyle are winning because their King has the magic of his mistress, the Dark Fairy, on his side. The story unfolds as Jacob, shape-shifter Fox, and Clara, Will’s girlfriend who has also stepped into the mirror, frantically try to find the antidote needed to prevent Will from turning to stone; meanwhile they are pursued by Goyle forces that see Will as vital to their needs.

This is a magic land where they encounter familiar places and figures from Grimms’ fairytales. Sometimes they use their powers in an effort to heal Will, and at other times they elude characters like the Tailor with the terrible scissor-hands. Funke has interwoven a fairy world with Gothic terrors leavened with a touch of European history as a site for the brave but scarifying quest to restore Will. It is no surprise to learn that Funke worked with a film-maker on the development of the story – it is an intensely visual narrative and ripe for transmission to screen. Funke writes with panache and verve, and it seems is once again well-served by her translator, all ensuring that readers will be glued to the pages of Reckless.