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guylou's review against another edition
5.0
I said many times and I will repeat myself…. 2020 will be an extraordinary year for books.
jgruman's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to like this book (tattoo magic!!!!), but I couldn’t. I felt that instead of showing, the author just would tell us what happened. For example, after Celia and Anya joined the Mob their first performances where not shown. All we are told is that they did well and the crowd loved them and it went smoothly. Or telling us how alluring the Mob is instead of showing us. Or Celia’s relationship with Vincent. We are told that they are now friends... nothing about how it came that way. Characters seemed to randomly appear with little introduction. Also, the tenors did not make sense to me. I don’t feel that it added anything to the story.
gladiolys's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
charvi_not_just_fiction's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
"Ah! You can speak truths. I was really beginning to worry it was a medical condition."
I absolutely loved how we're immediately introduced to the story, there's no staggering of any sort, we jump right into it. And Smejkal does that without compromising the world-building or the characters whatsoever. We see event after event unravelling and I really have to commend the author on building such a wonderful world where ink is revered and tattoos are regarded as blessings from the Divine. The plot was fast-paced in the beginning and slowed down just a bit only to throw a huge plot twist in your face.
I was actually a bit surprised at how quickly I got attached to the characters. Both Celia and Anya won over my heart in the first few chapters. They fiercely love each other and would do anything to protect themselves and their little theatre tribe. Speaking of the characters in the travelling theatre group, Vincent and the plague doctor were two of my favourites with Kitty Kay following close behind.
You can find the full review on my blog, here: https://itsnotjustfiction.wordpress.com/2020/02/08/ink-in-the-blood-book-review-giveaway/
"Ah! You can speak truths. I was really beginning to worry it was a medical condition."
I absolutely loved how we're immediately introduced to the story, there's no staggering of any sort, we jump right into it. And Smejkal does that without compromising the world-building or the characters whatsoever. We see event after event unravelling and I really have to commend the author on building such a wonderful world where ink is revered and tattoos are regarded as blessings from the Divine. The plot was fast-paced in the beginning and slowed down just a bit only to throw a huge plot twist in your face.
I was actually a bit surprised at how quickly I got attached to the characters. Both Celia and Anya won over my heart in the first few chapters. They fiercely love each other and would do anything to protect themselves and their little theatre tribe. Speaking of the characters in the travelling theatre group, Vincent and the plague doctor were two of my favourites with Kitty Kay following close behind.
You can find the full review on my blog, here: https://itsnotjustfiction.wordpress.com/2020/02/08/ink-in-the-blood-book-review-giveaway/
eldane's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book because it was truly original and eclectic. Original religions and magic are always good things to put in novels. The inclusivity with queer characters made me extremely happy, and the relationships were fun and real. The only thing that bothered me was that it gets a little confusing at points, especially near the end of the book. Act Three is very fast-paced and was difficult for me to keep up with. Regardless, I had fun reading this book and I look forward to the sequel(s)!
jenacidebybibliophile's review against another edition
This pains me to say, but I DNF'd this baby pretty quickly.
I was in love with the idea of tattoo magic, and was hoping for some kickass characters and an insane world to fall into. But instead I was left having trouble keeping my eyes open. I just didn't get pulled in and found myself rereading sentences over and over, with nothing sticking. Maybe I can revisit this at a different time and it will be better for me, but for now...
I was in love with the idea of tattoo magic, and was hoping for some kickass characters and an insane world to fall into. But instead I was left having trouble keeping my eyes open. I just didn't get pulled in and found myself rereading sentences over and over, with nothing sticking. Maybe I can revisit this at a different time and it will be better for me, but for now...
outrageouslymoonpie's review against another edition
5.0
[I'll come with a proper thought later, but for now trust me: it's beautiful.]
manaledi's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the magic system of ink in the blood and the gender identity auras and the found family. I was less sold on some of the political religious tenets and key plot points.
shaik's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars - i know this is part of a series but the ending didn't feel complete but it also didn't compel me to continue reading the series? i don't know.. anyways, i really enjoyed this book and was my first to try and get into the fantasy genre. i did NOT know that fantasy involved so many complex words... i was sometimes looking up three words i didn't know on a page. this book put me through my feelings and the lore of the religion in the story was really interesting. if you find yourself bored of the book wait until act 2! that's when the real part of the story starts. :)