Reckless by Cornelia Funke

I gave this book a rating of four out of five. Jacob Reckless passes back through a mirror into a world of dwarfs, witches, and Goyl, creatures made of stone. However, this time his younger brother, Will, also passes through with his girlfriend. The Goyl king's wife, a powerful witch, puts a spell on Will that is slowing turning him to jade. Will, as the jade Goyl, will make the king immortal. Jacob must find a way to stop the spell before his brother completely changes and forgets about his past. In addition, the Goyl king plans to marry the daughter of the human empress to bring peace to that part of the land. Jacob discovers that the only way he can save his brother is to face the evil witch. No one has ever challenged her, and lived.

I found the exposition of the plot a little confusing. It may have been the strange names and creatures. The plot and conflict became clearer, and the author did a nice job of developing the suspense. The slow-working spell was like a time bomb, and many obstacles were created to stop the characters from saving Will. Some of the obstacles were in the form of fights while others were more magical. Fantasy lovers should enjoy the story.