Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fantastic villains, many heroes ignite dark, mature sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In INKWORLD: THE COLOR OF REVENGE, Orpheus has waited five years to get revenge on his nemesis, Dustfinger. He enlists the help of a shadow witch and the illuminator Balbulus to paint all of Dustfinger's loved ones into a book and sends the murderous troubadour Rinaldi to enact his plan. Dustfinger is shocked and despaired when all his closest family and friends disappear in front of his eyes—well, almost all. Rinaldi failed to get a good likeness of the Black Prince for the illuminator, which spared him from the evil magic. The Black Prince is the first to offer to travel north with Dustfinger to confront Orpheus. But Dustfinger worries about his friends and what Orpheus will do if he doesn't come alone as ordered. So he sets off in secret unsure of whether he will ever be able to bargain with the vengeful Orpheus to get his loved ones back.
Is It Any Good?
This surprise fourth installment of the Inkheart series is delightfully dark and moody thanks to all the chapters featuring the villains, Orpheus and Rinaldi. And they are fantastic baddies. Author Cornelia Funke does an excellent job of showing Orpheus as a villain with many layers—a thirst for power and revenge, yes, but with ample "I'm so misunderstood" hurt underneath. And then there's the murder-happy troubadour Rinaldi. He's jarring in his complete lack of a conscience, but also oddly blind to his fading looks and lack of musical talent, no matter how many times the glass man Ironstone attempts to humble him. Orpheus' plan is a truly devious one, originally devised by an even more sinister force, the elusive shadow reader. It's going to take quite a force to combat all this villainy…
Enter Dustfinger, his blacksmith stepson Jehan, his best friend the Black Prince, a talented young earth witch named Lilia, and two brave sisters who understand the power of storytelling and song. Each character becomes essential to defeating Orpheus. At a point when Dustfinger is at his weakest and most downtrodden in the face of Orpheus' many punishments, he muses, "sometimes stories turned out to have different heroes from the ones you expected." That's the other joy of Inkworld, that each of the good characters lend their talents to Dustfinger's cause, often in surprising ways, and it's the humblest characters who become the biggest heroes. While the dark start to Inkworld sure was fun, when these humble characters close the book on power-hungry Orpheus, it's oh-so satisfying.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the dark quality of Inkworld: The Color of Revenge. Villains Orpheus and Rinaldi speak often of their thirst for revenge, fame, power, and more power. Does the story ever feel too dark? Or is it a necessary contrast to Dustfinger and his friends?
Dustfinger ponders near the end that, "sometimes stories turned out to have different heroes from the ones you expected." Who are the heroes of this story? Who did you think they were at the beginning? How do the heroes use not only courage and perseverance but teamwork to defeat the villains?
Chapter 25 is from the point of view of the magic book who thinks to itself, "What was a book if it did not tell of love, of friendship and joy, and preserve these things despite the darkness in the world?" Do you agree with this book? What else are books for?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Cornelia Funke
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Adventures , Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Chicken House
- Publication date : November 12, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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