October 16, 2020
Gr 9 Up-In the first installment of this duology, "Ink in the Blood," Celia Sand was victorious in escaping Diavala, but it came at the cost of losing her best friend. When she finds out that Diavala is once again threatening the plague doctor, Griffin, Celia knows that she will need assistance and enlists the help of Halcyon Ronnea, the only one to face Diavala and win. Readers learn quickly that Halcyon Ronnea has his own secrets and dangers, and Celia has to stoop to new lows in order to keep her new partner's trust and defeat the wrath of Diavala. Picking up where the first book left off, this volume's dark fantastical setting and pacing is similar to the first. Characters are memorable and readers will want to have read the first in the series to truly appreciate the magic of ink, as the author takes readers deeper into its influence. Characters' races aren't specified, and many are on the LGBTQ spectrum. VERDICT Intriguing characters with wit and charm will not disappoint readers. Fans of the first volume will anxiously await this final book in the duology.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton H.S., Linden, MI
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 15, 2020
Grief, revenge, and deceit meet in this sequel to Ink in the Blood (2020). Two weeks after destroying the religion of Profeta and bringing an end to an era of corruption and subservience, Celia is torn apart by grief over her best friend Anya's demise and is worried that Griffin, her plague doctor, will be driven insane by a very much still alive Diavala. The only way to save Griffin is to travel to Wisteria Township and find the mysterious Halcyon, the only person known to have survived Diavala's Touch madness. But as Celia makes a dangerous deal with Halcyon in order to learn more about the ink that may be the answer to everything, she wonders if she's traded one devil for an even worse one. Told primarily from Celia's viewpoint with the occasional interlude from Griffin's, this satisfying novel delves deeper into the world's intriguing mythology as Celia unravels all its mysteries with profound consequences. The story features an engaging narrative full of surprising plot twists and with a generous measure of anguished romance on the side as Celia and Griffin are often at odds with each other in their pursuit of revenge and freedom. Main characters are White; there is racial and gender diversity in this world. A fitting conclusion to a duology that is well worth reading. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)
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