The Colour of Revenge

With a sixteen-year gap since the publication of Inkdeath, the conclusion to the hugely popular Inkheart trilogy, we have what could be termed part four, but The Colour of Revenge could also stand alone, thanks to a clever device used by the author. Not only do we have a Who’s Who in the Inkworld, we have a letter, ostensibly from Orpheus Gemelli, which explains, from his particular point of view, what has led to the events of this book, allowing the reader to understand his motivation and desire for revenge on his nemesis Dustfinger, for which he has waited five long years.  Using a new form of magic with the help of a shadow witch, the brilliant illuminator Balbulus and a murderous troubadour called Rinaldi, Orpheus targets Dustfinger’s friends and family – deploying enchanted portraits to gradually fade their lives to grey. Forsaking the help of the only ones to be missed: his stepson Jehan, loyal friend Nyame, and a talented young witch Lila, Dustfinger sets out alone to bring life back to his loved ones.  In taking readers back to the complex and highly detailed world she created in Inkheart, she has also taken the opportunity to explore darker themes, by focusing attention on Orpheus and  the destructive nature of revenge  and does not shy away from portraying  violent deeds and their consequences. Orpheus is however multi-faceted, and we do see the hurt and feelings of being misunderstood, which underpin his actions.  The other rather excellent ‘baddie’, Rinaldi, seems to have a shocking, complete lack of a conscience, or any self-awareness at all. But what this achieves is focusing attention on the way that each of the good characters help Dustfinger’s cause, often in surprising ways, and it’s the humblest characters who become the biggest heroes in a very satisfying conclusion. The themes of the importance of family and friendship and the power of storytelling are the bedrock of this compelling and engrossing story, just as with the rest of this much-loved epic series.