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Reckless (Free Preview)
Ever since Jacob Reckless was a child, he has been escaping to a hidden world through a portal in his father's abandoned study. Over the years, he has made a name for himself as a finder of enchanted items and buried secrets. He's also made many enemies and allies--most important, Fox, a beautiful shape-shifting vixen whom Jacob cares for more than he lets on.But life in this other world is about to change. Tragedy strikes when Jacob's younger brother, Will, follows him through the portal. Brutally attacked, Will is infected with a curse that is quickly transforming him into a Goyl--a ruthless killing machine, with skin made of stone.Jacob is prepared to fight to save his brother, but in a land built on trickery and lies, Jacob will need all the wit, courage, and reckless spirit he can summon to reverse the dark spell--before it's too late.
73 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2010
120 people are currently reading
638 people want to read
About the author
Cornelia Funke
429 books14.1k followersCornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy for all ages of readers. Amongst her best known books is the Inkheart trilogy. Many of Cornelia's titles are published all over the world and translated into more than 30 languages. She has two children, two birds and a very old dog and lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 18, 2011
Funke takes inspiration from Grimm’s fairy tales in this dark and richly satisfying fantasy. This is story with a capital S. It is also quite edgy, as anything inspired by Grimm would be, but there is also a hefty dollop of violence and some sexuality, as well.
Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences.
Although the characters briefly begin as teens, the story jumps ahead 12 more years, so for the most part, the characters are not teens, but in their twenties. The characters are a bit stock fantasy (cranky dwarves, for instance) and the storyline definitely takes precedence over character development. However, there is a fascinating array of richly described characters, most notably the Goyle, who are humans who have become stone. Scenes that take place in an enchanted forest feature an Edward Scissorhands monster called The Tailor and the witches who lure children to their death with gingerbread cottages. This makes for some excellent storytelling.
The ending is a bit contrived, with the Dark Fairy inexplicably releasing Will so that the author can give us a satisfying ending. But it is never really explained to my satisfaction why she decided to let him go. The ending also leaves obvious room for a sequel.
Themes of guilt, love, abandonment, loyalty.
Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences.
Although the characters briefly begin as teens, the story jumps ahead 12 more years, so for the most part, the characters are not teens, but in their twenties. The characters are a bit stock fantasy (cranky dwarves, for instance) and the storyline definitely takes precedence over character development. However, there is a fascinating array of richly described characters, most notably the Goyle, who are humans who have become stone. Scenes that take place in an enchanted forest feature an Edward Scissorhands monster called The Tailor and the witches who lure children to their death with gingerbread cottages. This makes for some excellent storytelling.
The ending is a bit contrived, with the Dark Fairy inexplicably releasing Will so that the author can give us a satisfying ending. But it is never really explained to my satisfaction why she decided to let him go. The ending also leaves obvious room for a sequel.
Themes of guilt, love, abandonment, loyalty.
December 4, 2013
Some people have concept fetishes. Some like dominant, supernatural boyfriends, some like twisty-turvy Gossip Girls in a Sweet Valley with Travelling Pants, others like time vortexes and cryonic chambers and Vulcans. Me? I have always had and most certainly always will have, a thing for mirrors.
I can't rightly explain it. Any founding concept based around mirrors has my attention almost immediately. Like Cornelia Funke's latest offering, RECKLESS, where the portal into a fantasy world is through a mirror.
I acquired the first eighteen chapters over NetGalleys, despite my general inability to love high fantasy. However, this was Funke we were talking about. She brought us Dustfinger, and the Thief Lord, for Christ's sake. I fell in love with INKHEART, but, unfortunately, RECKLESS failed to enrapture me wholly.
The novel started off with a very Funke-like hook, with something out of the ordinary happening to a child during the night. Much like Maggie's discovery of Dustfinger in her front yard, the young boy of RECKLESS ventures into his late father's study, and is transported into a fantasy world via a mirror inside.
I could hardly keep my shit together. Things were getting crazy intriguing.
However, it resembled one of those modern history essays I string together past midnight, hours before they're due. All downhill from a smashing opening.
It's not that RECKLESS didn't have potential. Oh, no, no. I loved the subversion of fairytales, and the subtle menace of faeries that just mounts continually over the course of the novel. But maybe it was the black-and-white politics of magical vs. human/muggle that has been erring on the side of lethally tiresome. There have been so many offerings of mind-blowing greyscale that the presence of this divide just disappointed me. At the same time, however, I found the technological divide absolutely thrilling. The concept that the villains are advancing faster than the idyll Germanic townships seemed like lemons screaming to be made into lemonade. I mean, think of that chips commercial on TV (the animated grains saying "grains don't grow up to be chips, son"). Oh, maybe that just airs in Australia.
I had quite a spot of bother in telling the main four apart, especially the title two. Did that make sense? The title two? You know, since Reckless is the surname of the two protagonists, Jacob and Will. Now the idea on paper is gut-wrenchingly awesome: boy spends decade questing to cure brother who is slowly turning to stone. I mean, WHOA. Bro. WHOA.
However, I just couldn't feel for Will. I knew that I should have, and I tried at every turn to find something in him to yearn to save. I wanted to empathise with Jacob, to understand how much we NEEDED to save Will - But I couldn't. A word, a word. An impetus. It wasn't there for me. I needed to feel an impetus to save Will. But Funke failed to flesh him out, to 3D-ify him.
Also, the ages? I am still unsure of how old they are.
Furthermore, the integration of romance into the plot line seemed warranted, but should have had a more satisfying progression. I felt it wasn't real enough, especially in light of the fact that the two parties involved in the Will/Clara debacle were both human and raised as such. I just feel like she should have cared more.
As usual, however, Funke has an enviable imagination, and a flair for writing. Even if I wasn't hooked on the plot and the characters, it was a delight to just read, to relish in her sentence structure and word choices. Her dialogue.
I think this book had the potential to be brilliant, but, unfortunately, but it was poorly approached. It makes me physically ache because I know Funke has the ability to turn this into something phenomenal and she just didn't. All the same, I have no burning desire to read any sequels.
I can't rightly explain it. Any founding concept based around mirrors has my attention almost immediately. Like Cornelia Funke's latest offering, RECKLESS, where the portal into a fantasy world is through a mirror.
I acquired the first eighteen chapters over NetGalleys, despite my general inability to love high fantasy. However, this was Funke we were talking about. She brought us Dustfinger, and the Thief Lord, for Christ's sake. I fell in love with INKHEART, but, unfortunately, RECKLESS failed to enrapture me wholly.
The novel started off with a very Funke-like hook, with something out of the ordinary happening to a child during the night. Much like Maggie's discovery of Dustfinger in her front yard, the young boy of RECKLESS ventures into his late father's study, and is transported into a fantasy world via a mirror inside.
I could hardly keep my shit together. Things were getting crazy intriguing.
However, it resembled one of those modern history essays I string together past midnight, hours before they're due. All downhill from a smashing opening.
It's not that RECKLESS didn't have potential. Oh, no, no. I loved the subversion of fairytales, and the subtle menace of faeries that just mounts continually over the course of the novel. But maybe it was the black-and-white politics of magical vs. human/muggle that has been erring on the side of lethally tiresome. There have been so many offerings of mind-blowing greyscale that the presence of this divide just disappointed me. At the same time, however, I found the technological divide absolutely thrilling. The concept that the villains are advancing faster than the idyll Germanic townships seemed like lemons screaming to be made into lemonade. I mean, think of that chips commercial on TV (the animated grains saying "grains don't grow up to be chips, son"). Oh, maybe that just airs in Australia.
I had quite a spot of bother in telling the main four apart, especially the title two. Did that make sense? The title two? You know, since Reckless is the surname of the two protagonists, Jacob and Will. Now the idea on paper is gut-wrenchingly awesome: boy spends decade questing to cure brother who is slowly turning to stone. I mean, WHOA. Bro. WHOA.
However, I just couldn't feel for Will. I knew that I should have, and I tried at every turn to find something in him to yearn to save. I wanted to empathise with Jacob, to understand how much we NEEDED to save Will - But I couldn't. A word, a word. An impetus. It wasn't there for me. I needed to feel an impetus to save Will. But Funke failed to flesh him out, to 3D-ify him.
Also, the ages? I am still unsure of how old they are.
Furthermore, the integration of romance into the plot line seemed warranted, but should have had a more satisfying progression. I felt it wasn't real enough, especially in light of the fact that the two parties involved in the Will/Clara debacle were both human and raised as such. I just feel like she should have cared more.
As usual, however, Funke has an enviable imagination, and a flair for writing. Even if I wasn't hooked on the plot and the characters, it was a delight to just read, to relish in her sentence structure and word choices. Her dialogue.
I think this book had the potential to be brilliant, but, unfortunately, but it was poorly approached. It makes me physically ache because I know Funke has the ability to turn this into something phenomenal and she just didn't. All the same, I have no burning desire to read any sequels.
January 20, 2011
This is listed as a J book and it really shouldn't be. The characters are adults and there is nothing light hearted in the story. It is tragic and dark, sex and attraction is alluded to and the characters are deeply flawed (as people are) and I think this book belonged in the teen section. /rant
Jacob Reckless lost his father to the mirror years before he learned to follow him to the land beyond, and now he has lost his brother as well. Will is being taken away before his eyes, a slow casualty of a war they know little about. The dark fairy has given the Goyl, a race of stone people who are embroiled in a war with humans, the power to turn any human they harm into one of them and Will was injured by one. Jacob must save him before the stone takes over.
There is love and longing, magic and adventure, all of it dark and brooding. I think it would be scary for anyone under 12. The references to fairy tales is distracting from the story--the unexplained premise being that the magical items that Jacob hunts for and some of the characters and circumstances in the alternate world explain Grimm's fairy tales. I think a little more introduction to this would have helped. There are also some parts where the translation is choppy (from the German) which could have been fixed with a little more editing. Otherwise this book is enchanting and engaging. Definitely worth the read.
Jacob Reckless lost his father to the mirror years before he learned to follow him to the land beyond, and now he has lost his brother as well. Will is being taken away before his eyes, a slow casualty of a war they know little about. The dark fairy has given the Goyl, a race of stone people who are embroiled in a war with humans, the power to turn any human they harm into one of them and Will was injured by one. Jacob must save him before the stone takes over.
There is love and longing, magic and adventure, all of it dark and brooding. I think it would be scary for anyone under 12. The references to fairy tales is distracting from the story--the unexplained premise being that the magical items that Jacob hunts for and some of the characters and circumstances in the alternate world explain Grimm's fairy tales. I think a little more introduction to this would have helped. There are also some parts where the translation is choppy (from the German) which could have been fixed with a little more editing. Otherwise this book is enchanting and engaging. Definitely worth the read.
October 9, 2010
Reckless is the story of Jacob Reckless, his brother Will and a fairy tale land that exists beyond a mirror Jacob finds in their missing father's study. Though it takes place in the land of fairy tales, it is not Disney’s fairy land. This land is dark, harking back to the original fairy tales which were NOT all about lightness and happy endings.
Jacob discovers the land beyond the mirror in his father’s study when he just twelve. At this time his father has been missing for a year. Jacob spends many years traveling this world getting caught up the dangerous and adventurous excitement. He does not share this secret world with his mother or his younger brother. However, in a “reckless” moment he makes a mistake that allows his brother l to follow him into this dark world. Shortly after arriving Will is injured by a stone creature known as a Goyl. And now, unless Jacob can find a way to break the curse, his brother will be taken over by stone and become a Man-Goyle. To complicate matters, not just any stone is taking over Will’s body – but the rare jade. There is a legend about a Jade Goyle and its importance to the Goyle king. Could Will be this legend?
Funke lives up to her well earned reputation as a riveting and engaging writer. Once again, as she did in Inkheart, Funke has created a complex world full of legends and myth, many of which will be familiar to fans of the Brothers Grimm. She reaches out and grabs the reader’s imagination from page one and holds onto it until long after the last page is turned. Dark and brooding with a liberal sprinkling of imagination and adventure this promises to be a popular series. Oh and yes, there is a mystery as well. Just where is Jacob’s and Will’s father? And what is his connection to the world in the mirror?
I highly recommend this book for those looking for more traditional and less Disney-esque fairy stories. The publisher has listed this book for ages 9-12. I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.
Jacob discovers the land beyond the mirror in his father’s study when he just twelve. At this time his father has been missing for a year. Jacob spends many years traveling this world getting caught up the dangerous and adventurous excitement. He does not share this secret world with his mother or his younger brother. However, in a “reckless” moment he makes a mistake that allows his brother l to follow him into this dark world. Shortly after arriving Will is injured by a stone creature known as a Goyl. And now, unless Jacob can find a way to break the curse, his brother will be taken over by stone and become a Man-Goyle. To complicate matters, not just any stone is taking over Will’s body – but the rare jade. There is a legend about a Jade Goyle and its importance to the Goyle king. Could Will be this legend?
Funke lives up to her well earned reputation as a riveting and engaging writer. Once again, as she did in Inkheart, Funke has created a complex world full of legends and myth, many of which will be familiar to fans of the Brothers Grimm. She reaches out and grabs the reader’s imagination from page one and holds onto it until long after the last page is turned. Dark and brooding with a liberal sprinkling of imagination and adventure this promises to be a popular series. Oh and yes, there is a mystery as well. Just where is Jacob’s and Will’s father? And what is his connection to the world in the mirror?
I highly recommend this book for those looking for more traditional and less Disney-esque fairy stories. The publisher has listed this book for ages 9-12. I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.
December 28, 2010
I LOVED this book. Very dark, good adventure, with a tiny bit of romance. I think this would be a good fantasy for teens as well. Good for 5-9th graders who want a darker fantasy with more adventure than romance as the focus. Also, good for fans of both high and contemporary fantasy as it is kind of a cross over, with classic themes (brother vs brother, oppressed becoming oppressors) I thought the characters and setting were very well actualized. The first in a series.
February 20, 2011
Wow I was expecting something more child-ish, but I guess I was wrong! This book is a great young-adults book. Magic/Fantasy (as usual) and ROMANCE! That's a real twist. It was the cherry on top of the already great sundae. :)
July 28, 2011
Would be an interesting read for (intermediate school age) kids or for adults that have read the InkHeart series and want more Funke-tastic fantasy. Alternate dimension, magical creatures, magical items, interesting characters...
April 15, 2012
This is adequate, though a little clunky feeling. I wonder if it's the German-to-English translation that makes it feel a little clunky.
I am currently listening to the audio CD of the full book and since I'm more than 2/3rd's of the way through it, I will continue despite my reservations.
I am currently listening to the audio CD of the full book and since I'm more than 2/3rd's of the way through it, I will continue despite my reservations.
Currently reading
December 29, 2010I just really love this author!
January 26, 2011
Cant wait for the sequel!
June 12, 2011
The story was a page turner. Liked it because it wasn't a happy ever after story. Hope she writes a sequel to the book.
August 13, 2011
This book is fantastic! Definitely one of my favorites!! Needs a series!
March 13, 2025
I like the premise
I like the premise but the book didn’t have enough of a hook to make me want to read more right away. It feels like the start of an epic quest - something that will rake multiple books . That’s not what I’m looking for right now, but w’ll keep it on my ‘to read’ list..
I like the premise but the book didn’t have enough of a hook to make me want to read more right away. It feels like the start of an epic quest - something that will rake multiple books . That’s not what I’m looking for right now, but w’ll keep it on my ‘to read’ list..
December 21, 2018
Loved by my boys!
April 18, 2020
Different
The story line was a little choppy but it did draw you in and wanting more. This was a pretty good introduction to a story that needs to get a little more solid.
The story line was a little choppy but it did draw you in and wanting more. This was a pretty good introduction to a story that needs to get a little more solid.
June 15, 2011
Cornelia Funke has become one of those reliable writers for intermediate readers that does a wonderful job of weaving fantasy with interesting characters to create wonderful books. She is well-know for The Thief Lord. In her most recent work, she introduces elements from the tales of the Brothers Grimm to create a dark and dangerous world in the form of the Mirrorworld.
Jacob Reckless and his brother have been morning the loss of their father for the past 12 years after he mysteriously disappeared. Over those 12 years, Jacob was able to figure out that the mirror in his father's office was really a doorway into another world, if only you could figure out how to get its magic to work. Jacob does just that and finds himself in the Mirrorworld, a land torn by war and ruled over by dark fairies and the goyl. The goyl are creatures who skin has been turned into stone.
Since the fairy queen, who is wed to a goyl, is unable to give him children, she magically gifted his people with the ability to turn humans into goyl. These new goyl have proven to be great fighters in the war against the humans. When will is scratched, he proves to be one such victim, but instead of turning to stone, he starts to become jade. This brings a great amount of fear from the fairies, since this was foretold. The two brothers find themselves on a journey to find a cure for Will while also avoiding their enemies. In the process, they and the readers run into familiar people and elements from the Grimm tales.
I found the concept behind the book, and what is likely to be a series based on the way the book concluded, to be quite interesting. I was really drawn to the concept, which seems to blend elements from The Looking Glass Wars series by Frank Beddor with C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
I do have to admit that I struggled a great deal with getting through this one. Like Will and Jacob, the reader is thrown right into the middle of the action, trying to figure out who is who and what the heck is going on. The result is a story that is very difficult to follow in the early pages. Those looking for other tales influenced by the Grim Tales might prefer The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman or the NBC miniseries The 10th Kingdom. They are quite a bit easier to follow.
I will definitely be passing up the future volumes in this series. This is the first time I have been disappointed by one of Funke's books.
Jacob Reckless and his brother have been morning the loss of their father for the past 12 years after he mysteriously disappeared. Over those 12 years, Jacob was able to figure out that the mirror in his father's office was really a doorway into another world, if only you could figure out how to get its magic to work. Jacob does just that and finds himself in the Mirrorworld, a land torn by war and ruled over by dark fairies and the goyl. The goyl are creatures who skin has been turned into stone.
Since the fairy queen, who is wed to a goyl, is unable to give him children, she magically gifted his people with the ability to turn humans into goyl. These new goyl have proven to be great fighters in the war against the humans. When will is scratched, he proves to be one such victim, but instead of turning to stone, he starts to become jade. This brings a great amount of fear from the fairies, since this was foretold. The two brothers find themselves on a journey to find a cure for Will while also avoiding their enemies. In the process, they and the readers run into familiar people and elements from the Grimm tales.
I found the concept behind the book, and what is likely to be a series based on the way the book concluded, to be quite interesting. I was really drawn to the concept, which seems to blend elements from The Looking Glass Wars series by Frank Beddor with C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
I do have to admit that I struggled a great deal with getting through this one. Like Will and Jacob, the reader is thrown right into the middle of the action, trying to figure out who is who and what the heck is going on. The result is a story that is very difficult to follow in the early pages. Those looking for other tales influenced by the Grim Tales might prefer The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman or the NBC miniseries The 10th Kingdom. They are quite a bit easier to follow.
I will definitely be passing up the future volumes in this series. This is the first time I have been disappointed by one of Funke's books.
February 21, 2017
As I'd gotten this for free on Amazon 7 years ago, I hadn't realized when I started reading this recently that it was only a free preview. I was vaguely curious about the world of the book, but not enough to actually seek out the full book to read it.
December 2, 2016
I liked this book. I usually struggle with fantasy books because I think it’s very difficult to give the perfect amount of description, which is imperative in fantasy books, so that it doesn’t make the reading boring, but you know where you are at all times. I sensed a little bit of lack of description and sometimes you were in one place and suddenly you were in another one, which made it easy to put it down, but I loved the imagination the author shows in all of the characters and places throughout the story.
The story consists of a boy that travels to another dimension through a mirror. It starts with the boy discovering the mirror for the first time and the story suddenly skips ten years and emerges in the middle of the action, which disoriented me a little bit. It takes some time until the book fully explains the story and situates you in time; until then, I was quite lost with so many characters, races, wars and places.
I loved the way the book turns into a journey, and sometimes you feel like you are in those gardens full of colors, or in a beautiful night full of stars, or in one of those 1800s-like cities, walking down the street full of different characters. I also liked how the author explains the background of the main character, with all the fights he has been in and all of the dangers of the mirror world.
Despite a little bit of lack of description I really liked this book and I recommend it.
The story consists of a boy that travels to another dimension through a mirror. It starts with the boy discovering the mirror for the first time and the story suddenly skips ten years and emerges in the middle of the action, which disoriented me a little bit. It takes some time until the book fully explains the story and situates you in time; until then, I was quite lost with so many characters, races, wars and places.
I loved the way the book turns into a journey, and sometimes you feel like you are in those gardens full of colors, or in a beautiful night full of stars, or in one of those 1800s-like cities, walking down the street full of different characters. I also liked how the author explains the background of the main character, with all the fights he has been in and all of the dangers of the mirror world.
Despite a little bit of lack of description I really liked this book and I recommend it.
March 23, 2012
This is a pretty fast paced book (and thank heavens for that). I enjoyed it but didn't love it and am torn as to whether I will read any other books that may follow. I had a hard time getting into this new world. I thought it was interesting but I didn't feel like Funke spent enough time exploring it for the reader and I felt lost at times. I did like the fairytale elements in the story. And the main storyline wasn't bad, just not my favorite. I kind of felt like the ending was rushed - all hell broke loose and then a quick problem-solver and it was over. I wanted more out of it. The characters offered enough to make you like them but I didn’t feel totally invested. It was just OK I thought but more than 2 stars (as goodreads 2 stars is "OK")
March 20, 2014
Excited for the full book's publication!
Excited for the full book's publication!
Cornelia Funk, excellence as always!
Reckless is no different than what you expect from C.F. World-building at its best. New and original ideas, as well as new -very new spins, on old ones. Fairytales mixed with modern day Teens- and most surely their Dad in a previous time... and of course a romance. Fortunes to be hunted, Wars to be caught, and that is just the beginning.
Imaginative, Interesting, a fun read. Only thing I didn't like was the fact it's a preview and now I have to wait for the rest.
Excited for the full book's publication!
Cornelia Funk, excellence as always!
Reckless is no different than what you expect from C.F. World-building at its best. New and original ideas, as well as new -very new spins, on old ones. Fairytales mixed with modern day Teens- and most surely their Dad in a previous time... and of course a romance. Fortunes to be hunted, Wars to be caught, and that is just the beginning.
Imaginative, Interesting, a fun read. Only thing I didn't like was the fact it's a preview and now I have to wait for the rest.
February 2, 2011
I was seriously disappointed with this book. I felt like I was led on multiple dead ends to get me to nowhere. I had a hard time getting over the fact that I felt like I was reading another "Inkheart" repackaged, but given the author's track record and other books that I love, I gave it a chance. Bleh. I wished I hadn't
January 13, 2011
If you enjoyed the Inkheart Trilogy; you will love this new series. Another new world populated by amazing and interesting characters from our world into Mirrorworld. A quest, of course, and just a generally great story that keeps you reading until the end and then leaves you wanting the next installment as quickly as possible.
July 9, 2016
I dont know what i just read, but it sucked! So bad! So im not sure it was this rrckless was the right one since it was a novella.. But it doesnt matter, ut stil sucked!
The book name was; Cornelia Funke - Reckless: Strömkarlens fiol..
The book name was; Cornelia Funke - Reckless: Strömkarlens fiol..
April 28, 2012
The ending...
November 17, 2010
Bits and pieces of all kinds of fairy tales and fantasy. A quick read.
Read
June 10, 2012Thout it was good !!
January 4, 2015
i loved this book amazing espically the part where is has only one year lefy. i want to know what happens net
December 4, 2014
Cute
Light and full of fantasy like watching an old black and white fairy story on television. Quick read don't miss
Light and full of fantasy like watching an old black and white fairy story on television. Quick read don't miss
July 21, 2016
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book cover is on my Pinterest board and my blog, Michelle Dragalin’s Journey.
Read
December 5, 2015DNF - sampler. Didn't connect with character and didn't care much about plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews