I'm going to chalk much of it up to the version I read being an unfinished arc. I'm definitely buying a finished copy and if it improves my rating will definitely switch to five stars. Regardless, there are a lot of details coming at you, and no matter how small or big they are they need to be filed away for future. Feb 27, Katey Kaje rated it liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Are you ever so sad about a book that you round up the rating out of guilt?
Everything good. Plus the idea of a malevolent deity and the circus? It felt made for me! But the plot was convoluted at best and nonexistent at worst. The writing fell flat in many parts. In the beginning, Celia like hyper focuses on gender auras but then it just stops.
The bees? Randomly inserted. My favorite part of the book was seeing characters use my pronouns. However, even I have to say the gender stuff felt forced in many places. In fact, if the whole aura thing was taken out, the inclusion of nonbinary characters would have been far more authentic. I will be happiest just seeing characters with my pronouns in the wild. I almost DNFed this book many times.
What should have been an easy YA read took me over a week to get through. I had no interest in it and I think I skipped over huge chunks because the writing was simultaneously convoluted and flat. All-in-all, I felt incredibly let down by a book that should have been, by all accounts, a favorite for my February reads.
Or perhaps the guilt. Am saddened. But at least I got to see my pronouns in a novel again. Jun 22, Rosiee rated it it was amazing. It's been over a year and tbh I'm still recovering Feb 28, Areli Amaya rated it it was amazing. Upon arriving to the temple and meeting Anya Burtoni, the girl who would become her closest friend, Celia realizes that the people are being blindsided by pretty words and a very conniving deity - the tattoos take away freedom and the mistico in charge of the temple are as ruthless as they come.
When Celia and Anya are given the surprising opportunity to run away from their fettered lifestyle and join a traveling theater troupe, they do everything imaginable to be accepted by people who were born to perform. But the immortal they refused to believe in is outraged at their behavior and desperate to make them pay - in order to defeat this ancient being, Celia and Anya will have to put on the best performance of their lives.
Oh my goodness guys, I don't even have a clue where to begin. Ink in the Blood is Kim Smejkal's debut novel and, in my very humble opinion, it came in crashing through a sea of similar stories to leave its unique, beautiful and heart-rending mark behind. This is one of those books that once I read the very first page, I could not for the life of me stop thinking about it.
Ink in the Blood is the kind of narrative I was positive would seep into my bones and I am happy yet sad to say I was right - happy because I have found a new world and author I will enthusiastically support, but sad because I have to wait a year until I can read the sequel, which I'm guessing will be just as marvelous. One of the first things that made me go "Oh, where have you been all my life?
She is a character I could see myself being friends with which makes me a little angry at the author for so perfectly creating an imaginary character I wish was real. The second aspect that ingrained this new world in me is the thought provoking aspect of it. One that asks the question "What would you do if a divine being sent you direct signals, ones you could not ignore? It highlighted the evil humans are capable of when acting in the name of something we believe to be truthful or righteous, even if the behavior is sometimes cruel and potentially all-destructive.
But the thing that had me swooning was the slow burn romance between two of the characters, because Of Course it was going to feature a spark so natural and beautiful, even if I didn't think it would be coming. Talking more about said romance would be a blasphemous spoiler so I will go ahead and stop after telling you that it is the sweetest, most selfless thing ever and if something bad happens to my ship in the second book, I will be very rightfully upset.
Overall, wow what a beautiful experience this was! I'm envious for those of you who plan on picking it up because I really wish I could experience it for the first time again. If you are a tattoo lover, enjoy the magic of plays and the circus and are looking for complex, compelling characters, I HIGHLY suggest you pick this up and you know, maybe we can talk about it after you're done.
I am giving this pretty all the stars! Feb 17, Adah Udechukwu rated it it was amazing. Ink in the Blood is a pretty good fantasy novel.
It'll be nice if you read it if you haven't done so already. Jul 13, Rebecca Schaeffer rated it it was amazing Shelves: monsters , holy-worldbuilding , deliciously-atmospheric. I was lucky enough to read an early version of this book and it was truly excellent. It's deliciously atmospheric and full of manipulative gods, clever girls, and dark carnivals.
It's everything I ever wanted it to be, and I'm so excited for it to come out! Feb 09, Guylou Two Dogs and a Book rated it it was amazing. I said many times and I will repeat myself…. Once I started, I could not put this book down.
This is the story of year-old, Celia Sand, and her best friend, Anya Bertoni. Both were selected to serve as inklings in the religion of Profeta. Once in, the inklings cannot leave and must tattoo messages from the Divine on themselves and transfer the tattoo to the intended receiv I said many times and I will repeat myself….
Once in, the inklings cannot leave and must tattoo messages from the Divine on themselves and transfer the tattoo to the intended receiver. But Diavala, a demon, is roaming to destroy the Divine, but is it a lie? Celia and Anya have their doubts and want out of this religion. With the help of an ex-member, they join a troop of traveling entertainers. To stay, they must perform an act. Using secretly their inking talents, Celia and Anya have the perfect act representing how an angel controls a demon imprisoned in a glass dome.
Their act is exceptional and attracts people from everywhere to see it, even Diavala. Celia and Anya will fight with all their might to destroy Diavala and save their friends. They will also discover that Diavala and the Divine are not so different. It reminds us to question our beliefs and make sure we are not fed lies in order to imprison us in a false religion. This is the first book in the series, so there is more excitement to come.
This book is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Cassandra Clare. Feb 12, Alaina rated it really liked it Shelves: audiobook , sci-fi , fiction , young-adult , , fantasy , lgbtqa.
Even though it hasn't been on there long, it just nice to mark it complete. After finishing this beautiful book, I can say with so much excitement that I can't wait for the next book. Now this one right here dive into so many things. You get the traveling circus, magical tattoos, so much freaking tension, and a bunch of other things. I could keep going on and on describing what you will see along the way but honestly - y I'm definitely happy that I finally knocked Ink in the Blood off of my TBR.
I could keep going on and on describing what you will see along the way but honestly - you should just see it with your own eyes or hear with your own ears. I will admit that the whole plague doctor thing and the mask made me hesitant.
Like super hesitant. Not sure how you can make one of those masks sound sexy but Kim does a pretty good job. Even if they still creep me out. It was also pretty easy to fall in love with everything when it comes to Celia. Besides her, there's a lot of diversity throughout this book and it might get a tad bit confusing once pronouns are introduced in the beginning because there's just so many characters to keep track of but it does start to make sense after that.
I first fell in love with this book when I saw the cover reveal last year, and friends, let me tell you that the insides of this dark fantasy debut from Kim Smejkal most certainly match! Smekjal's writing is lush and beautiful with beautiful descriptions, but is also fast-paced and engaging. We jump straight into the thick of the story, and I love the way that we are introduced to the world. The action, character introduction, and worldbuilding are all introduced slowly while not sacrificing one aspect of the story for another.
It is worth noting that the tone of the first act of the book about pages doesn't really hold a candle to the rest of the book. While I was interested in the day-to-day of inkling life in the temple, as well as Celia and Anya's careful exploitation of doctrinal loopholes, the book really shifts at the end of Act I.
I found the first section interesting and full of important groundwork, but everything clicked in a truly magical way on page and I was hopelessly addicted.
If you try the book and struggle a bit, I do recommend trying to get to this point before deciding to set it aside. I absolutely fell hard for Celia and Anya within four chapters. Their fierce loyalty to one another and deep friendship warms my heart just thinking about it now. They are both so brave! From their little acts of defiance to outright fleeing from the temple with a traveling theatre troupe to spoiler-y things I won't talk about, every choice they make is an impossible one, but one they ultimately make out of love for one another.
If there's one thing that I love more than tattoos, it is probably theatre, so imagine my glee when we meet the Rabble Mob theatre troupe! And this group of characters is gloriously fantastic.
I love how everyone feels like a real person, with goals and a personality, regardless of how much "page-time" they have. I've got a confession to make I guess I like my guys with an air of mystery and mirth, but whatever. I really enjoyed learning about his character as he became comfortable enough to share and need to protect him always.
Every character has a tenor think aura that essentially shows their identity to others. But the tenors are fluid and can change over time.
I really enjoyed this aspect a lot. Everyone's identity is accepted without question, which goes to show how having your labels readily available can make such an impact. I really enjoy books that explore religious themes and have religious systems as part of the worldbuilding. The Profeta religion is at the heart of Ink in the Blood with Celia and Anya questioning their role as inklings, finding clever loopholes to skirt the rules, and ultimately running away from the temple.
While themes of corruption and stripping individual freedom from believers are explored, I like that it is done in a way that doesn't necessarily vilify true believers, people who find comfort from Profeta, and Celia's narrative is quick to remind us of that.
The critiques are largely about choice and not the teachings themselves, which I really appreciate. Overall, I loved Ink in the Blood! Once Act II started, I was hopelessly sucked into the story and read the book for hours. The magic system of divine tattoos is so unique, and I simply adore the world that Smejkal created.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. Quotations are taken from an unfinished proof and are subject to change upon final publication. Blog Twitter Pinterest Dec 09, michelle magical reads rated it really liked it Shelves: arcs , released-in , , reviews. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.
I'm thrilled to be on the street team for Ink in the Blood! It's been so much fun so far, and I was also so excited to start this book.
I mean, tattoo magic! Female friendships!! Overthrowing an entire religion!!! Ink in the Blood tells the story of a battle between an angel and a devil, two best friends caught in between, and everything they're willing to do to set things right.
However, it definitely picked up. The worldbuilding was really cool. Ink in the Blood revolves around Profeta, a religion centered on the Divine who channels magical ink through blessed people called Inklings. The whole world is also very gender-inclusive!
Nearly everyone boasted a tattoo; ink made nonbelievers believe, turned half believers into fervent ones. Magic staining their skin meant that the Divine cared for them. Celia is an Inkling, as is her best friend, Anya. Together, they escape from the temple, joining the Rabble Mob basically a travelling circus as a means of protection from punishment for running awary from Profeta.
Except Diavala, the devil figure, has followed them and is aiming to create chaos. The vibes of the book lowkey reminded me of the movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus actually! Celia and Anya form strong bonds with the people in the Rabble Mob, discovering a new family, one the temple has never felt like except for each other. It was really interesting reading about all these characters and their tightly knit group dynamic.
Thinking they could find a home with the Rabble Mob had been such a naive dream. It was impossible to escape Profeta. The romance was nicely intertwined with the plot. I loved them. I really loved the writing! Typically I hate when books end every chapter with a one-liner, just because it loses meaning and weight the more you do it.
However, it works so well in this book! Overall, Ink in the Blood was a stunning debut. The worldbuilding, characters and their relationships, and writing were all so good. If you follow me on Instagram you know I love tattoos, I'm slowly collecting art on my body. And I definitely requested this book due to the magic tattoos. But this book is so much more than that. This book is the beautiful story of Celia and Anya as they begin to fight back to a corrupt religion that rules their country.
After seeing the tattoo she inked on the body of someone obviously suffering from abuse. The tattoo she had to draw to get that person to not leave their spouse, Cece has had enough. Cece and Anya run away to join a troupe of rovers that have a show. Cece becomes the devil in a bell jar and Anya the angel. We learn more about the corruption. This story is beautiful, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and everything in between.
Highly recommend. Dec 21, Dorothy rated it did not like it Shelves: fantasy , , botm-books. My thoughts as I was reading: - Why does reading this book feel like I'm in the mind of someone on crack? The writing is chaotic and hard to follow.. It's so hard to distinguish the different voices of the different characters.
I just feel like there's no reason why I should be this far in and still confusing the two main characters and all the side characters blend together. Maybe I'm just not into it enough? The dialogue doesn't click with me, the plot feels so all over the place, I'm not vibing with any the characters.
I don't think I'm going to finish this book off anymore because I'm not enjoying reading it. I keep zoning out, not really wanting to pay attention, so that should be a hint to myself that it's just not for me.
Just not for me, not the kind of writing I like and not the kind of story to keep me rapt. Dec 01, Amanda rated it really liked it Shelves: own , kindle , edelweiss , review-copy , got-in-mail. Review: 4 Stars I had a hard time getting into this book. I actually set it aside for a while before giving it a second shot.
I am so glad that I continued past the slow beginning though, because this book was really great. I am so grateful that I listened to all my friends that really loved this book because I really wound up connecting to this story. They became a found family in a circus-like traveling show. They were bonded on such a deep level and would really do anything for each other. I feel like female friendships have become so rare in YA and this one was so deep.
I did love the rest of the Rabble Mob as well, but what I loved most about all of these characters is that they treated each other like family and never hesitated to be there for each other. I loved all of these quirky weird characters that became a family. The world built in this story was done so well. The religion built around the Divine and Diavala had heavy influences on society and was at the center of this book. I loved how the religion used tattoos to guide individuals, the whole thing was just so unique and compelling.
I tend to love fantasy novels like this that have worlds with unique religions that are filled with corruptions. The layers of world building really brought the whole thing to life, making the world easy to visualize and understand. Ink equals bondage. Ink equals tyranny. But by the end I loved the way everything unfolded and the ending blew me away.
There were some unexpected twists, but the twist at the end of the book had me emotionally wrecked. It was written so well and the emotions of the characters were conveyed in a way that was so raw and authentic that I was crying myself.
The plot just came together so well and really left me reeling. I am really so glad that I gave this book a second chance because it was so worth it. I loved the Rabble Mob and the world was so unique. The entire story radiated gothic vibes and it was just so different from a lot of books out there. I would recommend Ink in the Blood if you enjoy gothic vibes, found family and unique world building.
Feb 07, Nikole Clow rated it liked it Shelves: books-i-want-to-own , ya-debuts. I was pleasantly amazed with how this story unfolded. I enjoyed the characters, the array of LGBT representation, but I overall enjoyed most the bond between two girls and their fight for their own destiny. The writing is both lyrical and poetic. Honestly, the writing is what really drew me into the story once I started to read, the beautiful cover initially captured my attention. The author has such lush writing that I could easily imagine the world and the characters.
I was enamored with this story and the dark world building. Everything is so beautifully described and depicted. But at the heart of this story lies a bigger, more meaningful type of magic: freedom. Celia and her best friend, Anya, want to escape the Profeta, which works out well for them when a traveling theater troupe comes through their town. The concept behind the people wanting to create a world of fear is beautifully done and believable, and Smejkal did a wonderful job creating that overall dark vibe of the story.
She easily depicts how difficult it is to create a future for yourself when the Divine wants your freedom and when people live in a world of constant fear. Their friendship meant everything in this story; both girls were there for one another and fought for each other. Both girls also want to change their fate; they each want to be able to pick their future instead of live in the one already dictated for them.
I loved seeing how each girl overcame their struggles and fought for something they truly believed was possible. Their story provided hope and Overall, I was impressed with this debut novel. The bond between Celia and Anya is phenomenal and really ties this story together. Feb 06, Tilly rated it really liked it.
It is the strangest, most atmospheric and mesmerising book I have ever read. Filled with tattoo magic, dramatic performances and a vengeful god. I mean, what wasn't there to like?! The storyline and worldbuilding was awesome with a magical tyrannic 4. The storyline and worldbuilding was awesome with a magical tyrannical religion at the forefront and the most incredible mob of performers.
What I really loved was that I could never guess where the story was going to go and it shocked me to the final page. I also adored that not only did the main characters have depth and intricate backgrounds but the side characters too.
Nothing Between Us 6. Judas 8. Your Sad Fucking Life 9. Less Than You Deserve Posted by born to lose at PM. Labels: Until The End. Newer Post Older Post Home.
Subscribe to: Post Comments Atom. Sites you should see Death By Music. I want my friends band If you or your friend has a band and would like to have it added to this site, here is how to do so.
In a folder titled the bands name you'll need The tracks 2. ZIP the folder into a file archive. Upload to your choice, rapidshare, mediafire, zshare, megaupload or any website like those. Finally post it in the shoutbox. IF I like them even remotely I will add them on here.
0コメント