Review: INKED by Eric Smith

Release Date: January 20, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark

Rating: 5/5 Stars

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 was sent a copy of this book for review by the author.  In no way does it affect the rating I gave it.

INKED was a wild ride that constantly kept me on my toes.  

I'll admit, I hadn't heard much buzz about this book when I was contacted by the author.  I'd heard little tidbits here-and-there, but not enough to set any expectations for myself going into it.  So you can imagine how much of a pleasant surprise it was for me to find, pretty early on, that I LOVED it.  

I have to start off with the concept, because it is one of the most unique ones I've ever encountered.  Sure, there have been books that featured magic tattoos- most notably, A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas and CITY OF BONES by Cassandra Clare- but even in those famed novels, the concept is far different from that discussed in INKED, and in a very good way.  INKED brought such a fresh, new, exciting depth to tattoo magic, and I'm very excited to explore this power more in the future novels.  

Now, for the characters.  I really enjoyed them! All the major characters were so incredibly unique (and no, I'm not just talking about their names) and very relatable.  While the beginning was a tad slow for me, I found that, after the first fifty or so pages, I had no trouble getting into their heads and really sympathizing with them.  They made me laugh at lighter moments, and made my stomach clench with anxiety at the tougher moments.  I even found myself breathless sometimes, at the choices they would make.  A big quality that I base my ratings of books on is how relatable a character is for me, and since I loved these characters so much, it was a huge factor into me giving this book the five starts that it so justly deserves.  

The plot of the novel was absolutely riveting.  Like I stated above, it kept me on my toes the entire way through.  I found myself in bed at night clinging to my blankets in anticipation of what would happen next, and, during the more intense scenes, biting my lip so hard that it would bleed.  I became so invested in knowing what the hell was going to happen next, what little twist and spin Eric would throw into the next chapter, that I would completely lose myself in the story and forget that I was simply reading.  

INKED was one of the first books I completed in 2016, and was the perfect way to start off my reading year.  I HIGHLY recommend it, and I cannot wait to read the sequel in May.

Huge thank you to Eric for sending me a review copy of this book!