Jacob Reckless has always been reckless with himself, but protective of his younger brother, Will. And when Will follows him into the world beyond the mirror – the same world where their father disappeared years earlier – things spiral out of Jacob’s control. Will somehow contracts a disease/spell that turns individuals into men of stone. Jacob is running out of time and desperate to overturn the spell and save his brother from a fate that will separate him from his family, his lover and even his home-world, forever. So desperate, in fact, he turns to the fairies. Little does he know that his brother is wanted by a certain fairy, for a jade rock man has never been seen before except in a prophetic dream. And so, it’s a race against time and enemy to find the cure for Will. Will they find it in time? How much is Jacob willing to sacrifice for his ever-trusting younger brother?
I didn’t even know that Cornelia was planning a new series, much less had a new book out until I happened upon this book in the young adult section of our library (yes, in spite of my age, I frequent that section at our library!). The cover made me wonder if I’d like it at all – it makes the story look very dark and I wasn’t sure if I wanted dark. Furthermore, I wasn’t the most enamored with the last two books of Cornelia’s Ink series (Inkspell and Inkdeath). As a result, my expectations for Reckless. were not high, to say the least.
(Note to self: keep expectations of books low, because if the book isn’t that great, you won’t be disappointed and if the book is brilliant, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.)
Yes, I liked Reckless and look forward to the continuation of Jacob’s story. It was a decent blend of fantasy and reality – I loved how Cornelia Funke brought in elements of our world: airplanes and modern weaponry, for example – but it didn’t seem too out of place. In a way, it’s rather similar to what Megan Whalen Turner has done with her world of Attolia, but with a slightly different twist.
Furthermore, the characters were likeable and I found myself constantly guessing and hoping that things would turn out right for them. As I said, I’m anxious to see what happens next, which means I liked the book. However, I’m not ready to run out and spend money on my own copy, unlike my reaction to Inkheart; if I were in the habit of giving starred ratings, Reckless would get a three out of five. A fun read that leaves me looking forward to the sequel, but not good enough to own.