The Color of Revenge by Cornelia Funke [MG Review]

Summary 💬

Five years have passed since the events of Inkdeath. At last, peace reigns in Ombra where Meggie, Mo, Dustfinger and all the other residents lead a happy, carefree life. But it has been a different story for Orpheus, who after fleeing to the north, has spent his days living a meager and deprived existence fueled only by his thirst for revenge against Dustfinger and all those who betrayed him. Now Orpheus is willing to use any means necessary to take revenge. Even the darkest spell the ink world has to offer. When Dustfinger’s deepest fears come true, he’ll have to figure out whether the words still obey him. Or is he the one who should be afraid of the pictures this time…

Review ✍🏻

Who would have thought, 15 years after the publication of Inkdeath, that Cornelia Funke would gift us another Inkworld novel? Not I! I’ve long sung the praises of the Inkworld trilogy as some of my favourite fantasy books, let alone favourite middle grade fantasy books. Inkheart was a stand alone novel when I first picked it up at a Scholastic Book Fair around grade five. Few novels proved as formative to my reading habits as that one. So. You can imagine my excitement when The Color of Revenge was announced. You may be forgiven for approaching a sequel such as this (one penned so far after the original tales) with a bit of trepidation, but I had confidence that Funke would only return to this world with a story worth telling.

My excitement wavered a wee bit during the first 50 pages or so. I felt a strange sensation reading new words about this world and these characters after so many years. The five year time skip likely also contributed to that strange feeling. The premise felt a bit gimmicky and quite risky. You’re going to bring us back to Ombra but lock almost all of our favourite characters away?!

Thankfully, ‘almost all’ is a key phrase! Once the locking away is complete, the narrative settles into a fantasy adventure with compelling characters both familiar and new, carried by the quick evocative prose that I adore so much. It did warm my heart to read a story after so many years with Dustfinger and his bff Nyame (the Black Prince) at its center. Exciting!

The Color of Revenge maintains several elements that made the original books my favourites as a kid. Nearly all the characters are adults, with a couple teens mixed in. Substantial segments of the book are from the villains’ perspective. It’s rare to read a middle grade novel that delves into the perspective of some straight up nasty villains. There are also multiple on page deaths. They aren’t especially sentimental or graphic but they still carry some weight.

The author’s note to readers which prefaces the book explains the genesis of this new story: a publisher requested a short story set in the Inkworld universe for an anniversary edition. Funke penned a tale about Orpheus, but found herself drawn to tell a grander tale with Dustfinger and the Black Prince as its heroes.

Lastly, I have to comment on the cover design… you bet this black and neon cover design has me lamenting. Objectively, it’s a fine design. I understand the original designs may not sell well in 2024. But, they were lush and gorgeous and well-representative of the world within. My hardcovers of the original trilogy are some of my most prized books. But I’ve also just come across the cover for The Colour of Revenge on the right. I wish that was on the Canadian edition!!

The Bottom Line 💭

While it may take readers a bit of time to settle back into the world of Ombra, this exciting story of Dustfinger and the Black Prince will be a treat for any fans of the original trilogy.

Further Reading 📰

🍂 Read an excerpt
🍂 Author website
🍂 Reviews: L @ Broken Engines
🍂 Related: I posted a reread review of Inkheart nearly 10 years ago. I also mention the Inkworld books in my post about how I fell in love with middle grade fiction.

Have you read any of the Inkworld books?
Do you have a favourite series where an installment was published long after the originals?