Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

From Goodreads:  Although a year has passed, not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of Inkheart, the book whose characters came to life - and changed her life forever.

But for Dustfinger, the fire-eater brought into being from words, the need to return to the original tale has become desperate. When he finds a crooked storyteller with the magical ability to read him back, Dustfinger leaves behind his young apprentice Farid and plunges into the medieval inkscape once more.

Distraught, Farid goes in search of Meggie, and before long both are caught inside the book, too. There they meet Inkheart's author, Fenoglio, now living within his own story. But the tale is much changed, and threatening to evolve in ways none of them could ever have imagined. Will Meggie, Farid, and Fenoglio manage to write the wrongs of a charmed world? Or is their story on the brink of a very bad ending?

From Heather:  I love, love, LOVED the first book in this series, Inkheart.  It was beautifully written (although I didn't realize until later that it was written in German and then translated into English.  Maybe that's why the words were so pretty...)  In this second installment, I didn't feel quite as drawn to the words.  And I don't know if it's because they weren't so elegant or if the action of the story took more of my attention.  Because this story was much more active than the first!


It starts out with Dustfinger finding someone else (besides Mo, Meggie or Darius) to read him into the story that he came from.  The man is Orpheus and he is sort of a creep.  And he leaves Farid in the real world.  Farid must then find Meggie and talk her into reading them into the book.  And she does.  It's supposed to be impossible to read yourself into a book.  No one has ever done it.  But Meggie did.  


It was fun to see Dustfinger explore his world and meet his wife Roxane.  Before you know it Meggie and Farid show up in the story.  (Fengolio was already IN the story from the last book...)  And Mo and Resa end up there too, leaving Elinor and Darius alone at home.  


The story is probably not middle-grade appropriate however.  There is a little swearing and a few situations that were a little uncomfortable (Dustfinger's young daughter Briana having an affair with a married man?) and the action is a little more intense.  But for older teens (and adults!) it's fantastic!