Bluebear novels: Walter Moers brings back hero “Qwert”.

Berlin. "While pretty much anything was possible in the Bluebear novel, Qwert takes things a step further," reveals literary legend Walter Moers about the release of his new novel, "Qwert." The eponymous protagonist—whom fans already know from the Bluebear series—falls into a dimensional rift right at the beginning of this high-fantasy work and lands not only in a strange parallel world, but also suddenly finds himself in the body of Prince Coldblood, arguably the most popular knight in the novels.

As in "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear," the hero now experiences one adventure per chapter, for a total of 43. In an interview, Moers compares the books. Both possess a similar groove, a comparable humorous rhythm, and "a fairytale-like and carefree anything-goes atmosphere," according to the creator of "The Little Asshole."

All of this is possible, as becomes clear on the very first pages. Still reeling from his fall into the parallel world, Qwert not only meets the beautiful "Janus Medusa," but also frees the inherently evil creature—with the help of an invisible rapier and a voice seemingly emanating from nowhere. As the book progresses, Medusa and Qwert develop feelings for each other. But the knight is torn, for his beloved petrifies entire villages for her own amusement. What should he do?

Powerful in its language, with numerous complex sentences and lists, "Qwert" fits right in with the author's other novels. Moers' illustrations are characteristically charming. An exhibition of them was even held at the Caricatura Museum in Frankfurt am Main at the beginning of the year. Thanks to its short chapters, this latest novel is also suitable for a younger audience.

Even though "Qwert" isn't technically set on Moers' own continent of Zamonia, experienced readers will certainly recognize some parallels to other works. The sword fighting, for example, is reminiscent of "Rumo." Besides new characters, such as the adorable riding worm Snowstorm, old acquaintances also reappear.

An official release date for the much-anticipated third installment of the Bookholm trilogy, "The Castle of Dreaming Books," remains elusive. A few other books had taken precedence, Moers explains. However, work on "Qwert" continued alongside that project. Before that, though, a completely different novel will be released. "My next project is a humorous horror novel that will be entirely free of dimensional rifts and will take place not in Zamonia, but in the Karawanken mountains during Halloween."

Walter Moers: “Qwert”, Penguin Verlag, 592 pages, 42 euros

RND/dpa