- Chapter Books
- Ages 11–15
- Fantasy
The Colour of Revenge
Book 4 in InkworldView the full series
Five years of peace end when Orpheus, the silver-tongued villain of the trilogy, returns to take his revenge - bewitching portraits that make his enemies fade to grey. A darkly seductive, long-awaited return to the Inkworld.
- Best for11–15
- FormatChapter
- Length352 pp
- Read aloud~10 hr35 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Lyrical
Tone
- Dark
- Suspenseful
- Exciting
- Bittersweet
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Five happy years have passed since the events of Inkdeath. Meggie, her father Mo and the fire-eater Dustfinger live safely in Ombra - until Orpheus, the vengeful, silver-tongued enemy they thought defeated, resurfaces from a life of bitter, gnawing exile. Consumed by revenge, Orpheus corrupts an artist to paint bewitched portraits that will make his enemies fade to grey, with Dustfinger at the top of his list. To save those they love, Dustfinger, his blacksmith stepson Jehan, the Black Prince, a gifted young earth witch called Lilia and two sisters who understand the power of song and story must find a way to unmake his dark spell. This surprise fourth Inkworld novel is delightfully moody and menacing, giving Orpheus real depth as a wounded, self-pitying villain. Funke's prose is as lush as ever, steeped in the atmosphere of a dark fairy tale - a rich, revenge-shadowed return best suited to older readers who grew up with the trilogy.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A sequel for readers who have finished the trilogy: Common Sense Media flags it for 11+, and its violence, cruelty and darker themes place it well above the publisher's lower age note. Best for confident readers of about 11-15 rather than the younger end.
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- Best fit · 11–15
- Read aloud · 10–14
- Independent · 11–15
Prose load
Heavy
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Tougher fit
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: violence, death of character, scary imagery, abuse, mental health.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
1 / 5 · Tough fit
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Book lovers
- Immersive fantasy
- Dark fairy tale
- Series fans
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Sensitive to death
- Sensitive to peril
- Younger readers
- Series newcomers
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Orpheus is a fantastic, layered baddie - wounded and self-pitying but genuinely dangerous - and his spell of portraits that make the heroes fade to grey is wonderfully creepy. Fans of the trilogy get an unexpected new adventure back inside the Inkworld with old favourites and vivid new heroes.
- Secret world
- Magic powers
- Surviving danger
- Having a nemesis
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
Funke returns to her most beloved world with prose as lush as ever and a villain given real psychological depth. It is dark and menacing - death, cruelty and revenge run through it - so it suits an older reader who has finished the trilogy, and its portrait of revenge as a hollow, lonely business gives it substance to discuss.
- Great writing
- Conversation starter
In the series
Inkworld.
4 books · open the series →
About the author
Cornelia Funke.
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