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A review by laurenbookishtwins
Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst
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.