Inker Ropes

There’s a funny little story about how I came across this book. A long time ago, back when I was in school, I read a book about a mouse. I didn’t remember much about it, but all those years, the general idea of a mouse going in an adventure stuck with me. I found myself in a target one day while on a road trip, and happened to see this book there. I learned pretty quickly that this wasn’t that same book, but I actually enjoyed it just as much (perhaps even more?) than what I was looking for. Alright, now onto the actual critic stuff. I may be biased, as a guy who reads a lot of mouse-themed fiction, but this is a really great book. As someone trying to become an author, I really enjoyed the characters, and the imagination and life that comes into these books. Is it a perfect book? Well, maybe not. Think of it like some sort of buddy road-trip book where Delphine and her friend Alexander go on a quest throughout the Kingdom of Peltinore to find out Delphine’s orphan origin story. At interludes we get touching glimpses into the friendship of two young friends, and occasionally the villain, the sinister King Midnight’s own plans. The pros are that most of the characters are really nice, and I enjoy them. Animals also have their own hidden little homes and towns often built in secret into human settlements, and it’s usually quite interesting to see how they can turn things like playing cards into benches, that’s an A in imagination. The cons, if any at all, would be sometimes the stakes don’t feel high enough, I suppose you could say. Despite his army being a regular presence, King Midnight doesn’t seem to interact much with the protagonists, (although he doesn’t leave his fortress for a very specific reason that is explained in the second book.) I suppose at times it could feel like not enough is going on, and that it’s just two mice walking across the country, unraveling mysteries as they go along, with the seasonal annoyance of a few violent animals that they happen to meet. The con that didn’t bother me all too much, but I’m sure many may be by it, is the fact that this book ends on a cliffhanger, needing to be followed up. But what this book lacked in stakes, danger, and mystery, the sequel, “Delphine and the Dark Thread” more than makes up for, albeit at the expense of the whimsy of the first book. In a sense, it feels like no two can exist without the other. If there is ever going to be a third book (and I really, REALLY hope so, I enjoyed these), I hope it can capture the imagination and whimsy of the first book, but also the stakes and action of the second. TLDR: Something about these books just makes me happy. I like them, and I hope you do as well. Even though the second book ended with seeds planted for another adventure, I’m not entirely sure if there will be one. I haven’t heard anyone else talk about these books, which drives me nuts, because I really, really like them, and I want more people to know about them. So that’s what this review is for. If you’re into wacky little mice that go on adventures with giant silver needles that can create sewing themed magic, then this book may or may not be tailor-made for you. (Pun intended, I’m not sorry.) Please make a third book! I miss these guys too much D=