Inked by Eric Smith Published by Bloomsbury, Bloomsbury Spark on January 20th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, YA, Young Adult
Goodreads
Tattoos once were an act of rebellion.
Now they decide your destiny the moment the magical Ink settles under your skin.
And in a world where Ink controls your fate, Caenum can't escape soon enough. He is ready to run from his family, and his best friend Dreya, and the home he has known, just to have a chance at a choice.
But when he upsets the very Scribe scheduled to give him his Ink on his eighteenth birthday, he unwittingly sets in motion a series of events that sends the corrupt, magic-fearing government, The Citadel, after him and those he loves.
Now Caenum, Dreya, and their reluctant companion Kenzi must find their way to the Sanctuary, a secret town where those with the gift of magic are safe. Along the way, they learn the truth behind Ink, its dark origins, and why they are the only ones who can stop the Citadel.
Eric Smith takes you on a high-octane fantasy adventure, perfect for anyone who has dreamed of being different… only to discover that fate is more than skin deep.
I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher. This does not influence my review.
When I heard about Inked, I was really intrigued. Unfortunately, that intrigue did not keep me reading until the end.
Don’t get me wrong, I tried. I really really did. I read until 80% in, and after a week of struggling, I decided to DNF. It’s not that Inked is bad or anything like that, I just couldn’t find myself being invested in the story.
I liked the concept of tattoos and what they represented in the world, but I was not a fan of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, some of the side characters were interesting (i.e. Griska- the silent warrior dude who fought like a bad-ass without saying anything) but the main characters didn’t interest me. The main character, Caenum was your average dude scared for the future. The love interest/best friend, Dreya, is the average sweet girl-next-door. As expected, their romance was very predictable and made me want to roll my eyes sometimes.
I couldn’t relate to any of them, I just felt no motivation to read more about them. In addition, I felt that the plot was a little predictable and dragged on. As a movie, the twists and turns and many directions would have been interesting, but I think it ended up being annoying and felt way too dragged on.
I think if you’re looking for a book with an interesting/unique plot, then go for it. But if you’re looking for a character-driven novel with a great romance, I’d say skip it.
