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laurenbookishtwins's review
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
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.
elliereads97's review against another edition
3.0
seeing as [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] was one of my top favorite reads last year, i miiiiiiiight have gone into this with unreasonably high expectations. which is 100% my own fault.
one main criticism i remember seeing a lot of for of fire and stars was the plot's predictability, which i agree with, to an extent. but i connected so deeply with denna and mare and loved them both so much that honestly? i didn't even care. however, in inkmistress, i don't really care very much about any of the characters other than, and the plot is even more predictable.
my main disappointment with this book was (and i hope this isn't too spoiler-y) that i went in expecting a lesbian romance and was REALLY jonesing for some lady love, whereas most of the romance in this is between asra and a dude. he's a great dude, sure, and of course i love that asra is bisexual. i don't think she shouldn't be bisexual. she's fabulous in terms of bisexual representation. personally, i was just really looking forward to an f/f romance (which is how the book is marketed), and i felt kinda disappointed. i feel like that might have colored my opinion of this overall.
regardless, coulthurst's prose is absolutely beautiful and has gotten even better since her first novel. all of the nature scenes made my actual life, and also gave me the irresistible urge to go play skyrim?? i will be a reader of coulthurst's for the rest of my life and i urge other fantasy writers to take tips from her on writing diverse and unique fantasy.
one main criticism i remember seeing a lot of for of fire and stars was the plot's predictability, which i agree with, to an extent. but i connected so deeply with denna and mare and loved them both so much that honestly? i didn't even care. however, in inkmistress, i don't really care very much about any of the characters other than
Spoiler
ina, the literal villain, who is my manipulative bloodthirsty evil dragon queenmy main disappointment with this book was (and i hope this isn't too spoiler-y) that i went in expecting a lesbian romance and was REALLY jonesing for some lady love, whereas most of the romance in this is between asra and a dude. he's a great dude, sure, and of course i love that asra is bisexual. i don't think she shouldn't be bisexual. she's fabulous in terms of bisexual representation. personally, i was just really looking forward to an f/f romance (which is how the book is marketed), and i felt kinda disappointed. i feel like that might have colored my opinion of this overall.
regardless, coulthurst's prose is absolutely beautiful and has gotten even better since her first novel. all of the nature scenes made my actual life, and also gave me the irresistible urge to go play skyrim?? i will be a reader of coulthurst's for the rest of my life and i urge other fantasy writers to take tips from her on writing diverse and unique fantasy.
leannecroft's review against another edition
3.0
A brilliant book with great representation. But I feel it could have had more substance like book 1 did. Still really enjoyed the read though and would still recommend .
therese_nook68's review against another edition
3.0
I ended up giving this book a 3/5 stars.
I loved this book, I thought it was a great second novel, but a good prequel to Of Fire and Stars. We definitely got to see more worldbuilding and stronger attempts at fleshing out a magic system.
I thought the representation was done wonderfully and from reading the acknowledgements, Audrey Coulthurst does mention that she did a lot of research into making sure that the representation was done right: there are mentions of gender fluid characters in the book, black characters, lesbian and bisexual characters as well. So, she did really well on that front and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her characters.
Like I said, I liked that she did try to create more of a magic system that we saw in the first book, it's not the best magic system, but I think there's room for improvement and I can't wait to see how this magic system continues to develop in the sequel.
The biggest thing that annoyed me was that I couldn't invest myself in the characters. I found them all varying degrees of annoying and the emotional attachment wasn't there. I waited for the moment where I could get attached to the characters. But instead, the characters were so hard to get invested in and I couldn't bring myself to feel anything toward their problems or their struggles.
Overall, I did enjoy this book because it was so diverse and it did add more to a world I genuinely enjoyed reading the first time, but the characters just fell kind of flat for me.
I loved this book, I thought it was a great second novel, but a good prequel to Of Fire and Stars. We definitely got to see more worldbuilding and stronger attempts at fleshing out a magic system.
I thought the representation was done wonderfully and from reading the acknowledgements, Audrey Coulthurst does mention that she did a lot of research into making sure that the representation was done right: there are mentions of gender fluid characters in the book, black characters, lesbian and bisexual characters as well. So, she did really well on that front and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her characters.
Like I said, I liked that she did try to create more of a magic system that we saw in the first book, it's not the best magic system, but I think there's room for improvement and I can't wait to see how this magic system continues to develop in the sequel.
The biggest thing that annoyed me was that I couldn't invest myself in the characters. I found them all varying degrees of annoying and the emotional attachment wasn't there. I waited for the moment where I could get attached to the characters. But instead, the characters were so hard to get invested in and I couldn't bring myself to feel anything toward their problems or their struggles.
Overall, I did enjoy this book because it was so diverse and it did add more to a world I genuinely enjoyed reading the first time, but the characters just fell kind of flat for me.
moh's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Lovely book! It took me a little while to get oriented, but then it was magical, exciting, and queer (in short, everything I hope for in a fantasy).
Lovely book! It took me a little while to get oriented, but then it was magical, exciting, and queer (in short, everything I hope for in a fantasy).
pretyrekless's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
estanceveyrac's review against another edition
5.0
Two of the main characters are bi (or at least have romantic partners of several genders), that was really nice to see, I thought the rep was well done.
I loved it even more than I liked Of Fire and Stars, I hurt with Asra, the characters were well crafted and the intrigue rich & surprising. I especially appreciated the lore aspect of it.
I loved it even more than I liked Of Fire and Stars, I hurt with Asra, the characters were well crafted and the intrigue rich & surprising. I especially appreciated the lore aspect of it.
angelica87's review against another edition
3.0
Slow start but Fast Finish
I had a hard time getting into this book at first as the motivations and the goals of the main characters kept changing. Some things were really rushed and I feel like some of the emotional moments would have felt better earned if it had been spread out over a trilogy. But aside from that, I loved the world building and the magic system. I loved how there was a price for magic and how the characters were flawed and learned from those flaws. I was impressed by the story this author told and I will check out her other books.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first as the motivations and the goals of the main characters kept changing. Some things were really rushed and I feel like some of the emotional moments would have felt better earned if it had been spread out over a trilogy. But aside from that, I loved the world building and the magic system. I loved how there was a price for magic and how the characters were flawed and learned from those flaws. I was impressed by the story this author told and I will check out her other books.