BoTW: Igraine the Brave

While we're talking about Cornelia Funke, I feel obligated to mention her other outstanding fantasy novel, Igraine the Brave. Igraine is a twelve-year old girl who dreams of being a brave knight one day. She gets her chance when her parents mess up a spell and turn themselves into pigs! Igraine must brave the nearby country-side and quest to find the rare ingredient that will change her parents back into people.

The evil and greedy Osmund stands in her way, however. Osmund lays seige to Igraine's castle in hopes of capturing her parents' singing magical books. If Osmund gets his hands on those books, he will be the most powerful man of the land, and Igraine and her family will lose everything.

What I like most about Igraine the Brave is how much of a departure it is from The Thief Lord. Funke writes within a variety of genres and is as adept at high fantasy as she is (relatively) realistic fiction. I highly recommend the book, especially for those who enjoy a light-hearted, adventurous story.