Operation Bungaree (The Inkwell Chronicles 3) by J.D. Peabody

What worked:

The whole series revolves around Ink, a magical substance found inside the earth. Inklings want to use it to enhance creativity while blotters have more dastardly plans. The plot has two main antagonists with opposing schemes that put them in competition with each other. Cyno wants to use Ink to amass power while Eddie is only concerned about making money and killing Ev, a main character. Eddie’s scientist has already invented a synthetic Ink called Inkanto but the formula requires some of the real substance. Eddie finds a tree full of Ink in the first chapter but he learns the hard way that he can’t simply cut it down to transport and extract the substance. Ink is a very rare element and all of the subplots involve locating a major deposit somewhere in the world.

The first page jumps into the main problem as Ev falls into an active volcano. He only manages to survive by Leap Reading into one of his father’s comic books. His sister Bea is the only one who truly knows he’s still alive but the author adds a complication that will make him harder to rescue. Ev has landed in a manual that’s inside the comic book so Bea doesn’t have a clear way of locating him. Ev encounters an imaginary world he’s not experienced before so readers will accompany him as he tries to figure out a way to escape. He meets a robot caretaker named Archie who shares information and adds humor to the story.

The author shifts the setting to describe Ev’s adventure inside the comic book, Bea’s efforts to rescue her brother, and the nefarious activities of the two villains. The author has fun with the imaginative world inside the comic book by playing with the writing process and creative freedom. Bea enlists the help of her father and friends and blends their talents to come up with an innovative rescue plan. The plan involves a rocket scientist so you know there will be some higher order thinking. The bad guys do their best to thwart Bea’s efforts while clashing with each other. Cyno’s minions fearfully follow orders and their antics add humor to the book. The author also provides levity by incorporating (inkcorporating) the word ink into different words used in the story, like Inkubator.

What didn’t work as well:

There are too many settings that can affect the flow of the main conflict and keeping track of all of the characters is more challenging. Anything over three settings isn’t necessary and can be incorporated into other subplots.

The final verdict:

You need to read the previous books to fully understand what’s happening. The author has invented an imaginative world where Ink is a valuable, rare, and powerful resource. Ev’s suspenseful predicament will keep readers engrossed while the determination of his sister and the villains supply plenty of twists to the tale. I recommend you give this series a shot.