TRANKARRI

Illustrations from an American teen’s remarkable new pen literally come to life in this debut YA fantasy.

Nathaniel Hancock always enjoys the annual Christmas trip, flying from the East Coast to England. As always, the 13-year-old’s wealthy great-grandfather PaPa hosts the extended Hancock family. This year, he gives artistically talented Nathaniel a pen and asks for the boy’s “Masterpiece” (“This pen will help you realize your dreams”). The pen is magical, as a few of the things Nathaniel draws with it move on their own. It’s all part of Inkworld, which a “Pen Wielder” like Nathaniel adds to when he illustrates a character or a piece of land. Back in the United States, the teen periodically enters his own art as if it’s a window so he can explore the black-and-white Inkworld. Some of his adventures are positive, such as meeting an elf PaPa once created. But there’s the Dark World, too, as well as an evil presence, and if Inkworld’s various inhabitants want any hope of fending it off, they’ll surely need Nathaniel’s skills. Dean’s aptly sculpted young protagonist has relatable troubles; he endures bullies and an immediate family that practically ignores him (his dad, for example, is often away on business). Much of this series opener involves discoveries, as Nathaniel struggles to navigate Inkworld (certain areas he can see have been drawn by other Pen Wielders) and understand the time difference between this illustrated realm and his home world. Likewise, the teen is generally confused, with everyone from PaPa to Inkworld elves speaking cryptically or in riddles. Nonetheless, Nathaniel’s efforts to balance his home life with his otherworldly trips (without exasperating his perpetually busy mother) are entertaining. Even with all its complexities, Inkworld is both breathtaking and perilous, as some creatures—creepy, multi-eyed birds and “panther-people”—are menacing from the beginning. There’s much left to explore in the sequel, both in Inkworld and Nathaniel’s somewhat mysterious lineage.

An appealing, down-to-earth hero traverses an endlessly captivating pen-and-ink world.