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ally18678's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
chandramukhi's review against another edition
I bought this for my younger cousin years ago when they came for a visit and they left it behind so I started reading it out of curiosity. I’m not really the target demographic/age range for this and I’ve been trudging through it for over a year now, theoretically it has a lot of things I’d enjoy, but this book just didn’t move me. It’s not bad by any means, it’s just not for me
cosmicwillow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
this was a fun and interesting fantasy to dive into! the story itself wasn’t super unique or mind blowing, but i enjoyed the book and the world. i would definitely be interested in checking out the other books in this universe!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility and Sexual content
kaylinwriter14's review against another edition
2.0
Despite what a certain review implies, there is nothing wrong with a bisexual female having a relationship with a man. This does not "undermine" her sexuality or make previous relationships any less valid.
... there IS something wrong with info-dumps though. Lots and lots of boring info-dumps that made it really hard to push through this story?
Full RTC soon, probably, maybe.
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I didn't know this was a prequel when I requested it?? But I'm here for bisexuals and blood magic
... there IS something wrong with info-dumps though. Lots and lots of boring info-dumps that made it really hard to push through this story?
Full RTC soon, probably, maybe.
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I didn't know this was a prequel when I requested it?? But I'm here for bisexuals and blood magic
crystalm17's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the setting and the characters and the idea of the plot but there was just something off about it. Like it should have been faster paced since so much was at stake but it was more like a long, meandering journey.
camille2000's review against another edition
4.0
Although this book is filled with promising elements of magic and adventure, I felt this book did not fully take advantage of them. The book seems to alternate between thrilling moments of action (often involving the elements of magic that are part of this fantasy world) and scenes where the main character seems to ponder over and over what to feel and what to do. An exciting read overall, but some determination is needed to keep reading until the end.
kkuecker218's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
laurenbookishtwins's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.
Asra is a demigod, and she has a very dangerous gift: the ability to rewrite the past and shape the future with her blood. But it comes with a painful price, and she must keep her gift hidden at all costs. To do so, she lives in the mountains as a healer, content to help the village below and spend her free time with Ina, the girl she loves. Asra's peaceful existence is uprooted when bandits threaten Ina's village and the King does nothing to help. Ina, desperate to protect her village, begs Asra for her help in finding a manifest – an animal that she bonds with and can transform into as a rite of passage into adulthood – and Asra uses her blood magic to help. But things go wrong, and Ina's village is attacked by the bandits, and her friends and family murdered. Ina, unaware of Asra's involvement, swears revenge upon the King and takes a dragon as her manifest. To stop Ina, Asra embarks on a journey across the kingdom and discovers a dark secret of her history and the powerful legacy she carries with her.
Last year I read [b:Of Fire and Stars|25164304|Of Fire and Stars (Of Fire and Stars, #1)|Audrey Coulthurst|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457102645s/25164304.jpg|44868262] and, despite some issues, I really enjoyed it. So when I heard that Coulthurst was writing another fantasy – a companion novel – I was very excited and I ended up really really loving it. Audrey Coulthurst has definitely improved from her debut, and I thoroughly enjoyed Inkmistress.
My favourite aspect (and definitely a standout part of the book) was how well developed our cast of characters were. Asra, our protagonist was a favourite and she was such a breath of fresh air for a fantasy protagonist – she was kind, compassionate, selfless, and she took responsibility for her actions. She was definitely a lover, not a fighter, and did the things she did out of the goodness of her heart, even when she was blinded by love, and I really enjoyed her progression and character arc throughout the story. Ina, Asra's initial love interest and later antagonist of the novel such a complex and surprising character. I wouldn't call her a villain because it is definitely too simplistic of a word for her motivations and development, and hello SHE IS A DRAGON.
Also, we have a bi protagonist! Whilst the word bisexual is not on the page, Asra is attracted to both men and women throughout the novel (starts off with an f/f relationship). Her later love interest, Hal is the embodiment of a 'beautiful cinnamon roll' and he is such a beautifully soft and loving character and CAN WE PLEASE HAVE MORE BOYS LIKE THIS IN YA BOOKS PLEASE?
As with Coulthurst's companion novel, Of Fire and Stars, Inkmistress does suffer from a sluggish pace at times, but the world-building is phenomenal, and the characters are so well rounded, and Ina is such a complex character. For those of you who are fans of fantasy, magic, dragons, soft-hearted boys, and fierce and loving protagonist, then Inkmistress is the book for you.
Asra is a demigod, and she has a very dangerous gift: the ability to rewrite the past and shape the future with her blood. But it comes with a painful price, and she must keep her gift hidden at all costs. To do so, she lives in the mountains as a healer, content to help the village below and spend her free time with Ina, the girl she loves. Asra's peaceful existence is uprooted when bandits threaten Ina's village and the King does nothing to help. Ina, desperate to protect her village, begs Asra for her help in finding a manifest – an animal that she bonds with and can transform into as a rite of passage into adulthood – and Asra uses her blood magic to help. But things go wrong, and Ina's village is attacked by the bandits, and her friends and family murdered. Ina, unaware of Asra's involvement, swears revenge upon the King and takes a dragon as her manifest. To stop Ina, Asra embarks on a journey across the kingdom and discovers a dark secret of her history and the powerful legacy she carries with her.
Last year I read [b:Of Fire and Stars|25164304|Of Fire and Stars (Of Fire and Stars, #1)|Audrey Coulthurst|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457102645s/25164304.jpg|44868262] and, despite some issues, I really enjoyed it. So when I heard that Coulthurst was writing another fantasy – a companion novel – I was very excited and I ended up really really loving it. Audrey Coulthurst has definitely improved from her debut, and I thoroughly enjoyed Inkmistress.
My favourite aspect (and definitely a standout part of the book) was how well developed our cast of characters were. Asra, our protagonist was a favourite and she was such a breath of fresh air for a fantasy protagonist – she was kind, compassionate, selfless, and she took responsibility for her actions. She was definitely a lover, not a fighter, and did the things she did out of the goodness of her heart, even when she was blinded by love, and I really enjoyed her progression and character arc throughout the story. Ina, Asra's initial love interest and later antagonist of the novel such a complex and surprising character. I wouldn't call her a villain because it is definitely too simplistic of a word for her motivations and development, and hello SHE IS A DRAGON.
Also, we have a bi protagonist! Whilst the word bisexual is not on the page, Asra is attracted to both men and women throughout the novel (starts off with an f/f relationship). Her later love interest, Hal is the embodiment of a 'beautiful cinnamon roll' and he is such a beautifully soft and loving character and CAN WE PLEASE HAVE MORE BOYS LIKE THIS IN YA BOOKS PLEASE?
As with Coulthurst's companion novel, Of Fire and Stars, Inkmistress does suffer from a sluggish pace at times, but the world-building is phenomenal, and the characters are so well rounded, and Ina is such a complex character. For those of you who are fans of fantasy, magic, dragons, soft-hearted boys, and fierce and loving protagonist, then Inkmistress is the book for you.
annineamundsen's review against another edition
5.0
Bisexual main character and lots of queer background characters. I think I liked this plot more than of fire and stars/of ice and shadows. I really liked the vibe of the story and Asra's voice and pov. Learning more about the magic and how it works was very nice, + good world building.
daniel26's review against another edition
1.0
Synonym for trash: rubbish, dump, garbage, inkmistress.
This bored the shit out of me, all the overwhelming fantasy terms is one thing, but the writing was so bland. I was completely baited into reading all of this thinking it was some fantasy wlw. I absolutely do not mind that Asra is bisexual, i love that for her, but everything felt so forced.
It felt like i was FORCED to read it after getting through the first 80 pages, the characters were MAD PLAIN. It felt like i was licking paper the entire time. Picking this book up felt like i had to run up mountains, there was no damn way i could do it and in fact once i started this and FINISHED IT, i found myself asking, “why the hell did i do this”.
What i hated most was the fact that authors tend to write about how the girl realises in the end “oh i never loved her in the first place”?????? “i met Hal and thats true love and bla bla bla”. Girl. put your pen down. Pick a path, choose good bisexual representation and dont undermine it, or just dont write things like “i realise i never loved her in the end”.
This entire read was DISS-appointing. seriously tho, it managed to make me question what made me walk to the store, look for it, realise it was the last book on the shelf, purchase it, make happy noises, go home, read it, get disappointed, and realises why it was the last book on the shelf. It was the only book. No one restocked it for a reason.
This bored the shit out of me, all the overwhelming fantasy terms is one thing, but the writing was so bland. I was completely baited into reading all of this thinking it was some fantasy wlw. I absolutely do not mind that Asra is bisexual, i love that for her, but everything felt so forced.
It felt like i was FORCED to read it after getting through the first 80 pages, the characters were MAD PLAIN. It felt like i was licking paper the entire time. Picking this book up felt like i had to run up mountains, there was no damn way i could do it and in fact once i started this and FINISHED IT, i found myself asking, “why the hell did i do this”.
What i hated most was the fact that authors tend to write about how the girl realises in the end “oh i never loved her in the first place”?????? “i met Hal and thats true love and bla bla bla”. Girl. put your pen down. Pick a path, choose good bisexual representation and dont undermine it, or just dont write things like “i realise i never loved her in the end”.
This entire read was DISS-appointing. seriously tho, it managed to make me question what made me walk to the store, look for it, realise it was the last book on the shelf, purchase it, make happy noises, go home, read it, get disappointed, and realises why it was the last book on the shelf. It was the only book. No one restocked it for a reason.