Do you like adventure and action?  Well, this book is the book for you!  In the setting of present times comes the author Cornelia Funke.

This book is about a girl named Meggie Folchart whose life changes dramatically when she realizes that her father, a bookbinder named Mortimer (nicknamed Mo), has an unusual ability.  When he reads aloud, he can bring characters out of the book – literally.  Meggie and Mo’s adventure takes them throughout Europe particularly Italy, and brings them into contact with many unusual characters.  Along with the cast that was read out of the book like Capricorn will try and kill all who oppose him.  In order to do so he must track down the one whom released him from the book.  Along the journey Meggie realies something so dramatically powerful that not even she can control properly.  Will the surviving family escape from the clutches of Capricorn or will this fictional character have more in store to come?

My personal views on this book may be different than others, but personally I view this book as an interesting time out story that will grab your imagination withing the first two chapters.  What I found to be the moral of the story is that the power of reading will get you far in life.

There are more books in this series.  I have not read any of the rest of them yet but I assume they will be great.  They are Inspell which was released in 2005 and Inkdeath that will be released by the end of 2008.

Reviewed by: B.J. Rosen