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A Fire Beneath the Skin #1
Ink Mage
In the first installment of the A Fire Beneath the Skin trilogy, the city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has ever made it across the Long Bridge or penetrated the city’s mighty walls. Even when a powerful invading army shows up at the gates, the duke and his daughter, Rina Veraiin, are certain that it poses little threat.
But they are cruelly betrayed from within and, in a horrific spasm of violence, the city is brought to its knees.
With the help of her bodyguard, Kork, the battle-trained young Rina narrowly escapes the slaughter and makes her way to the lair of an ancient sorcerer—the Ink Mage—who gifts her with a strange, beautiful set of magical tattoos.
Now a duchess in exile, Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim what is rightfully hers, aided by a motley assortment of followers who will help her in her cause—some for noble reasons and others for their own dark purposes.
With the enemy’s agents nipping at her heels, Rina must learn to harness her new and startling magical powers if she is to assert her rightful place as ruler of Klaar.
But they are cruelly betrayed from within and, in a horrific spasm of violence, the city is brought to its knees.
With the help of her bodyguard, Kork, the battle-trained young Rina narrowly escapes the slaughter and makes her way to the lair of an ancient sorcerer—the Ink Mage—who gifts her with a strange, beautiful set of magical tattoos.
Now a duchess in exile, Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim what is rightfully hers, aided by a motley assortment of followers who will help her in her cause—some for noble reasons and others for their own dark purposes.
With the enemy’s agents nipping at her heels, Rina must learn to harness her new and startling magical powers if she is to assert her rightful place as ruler of Klaar.
388 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2013
2031 people are currently reading
5190 people want to read
About the author
Victor Gischler
369 books413 followersVictor Gischler is an American author of humorous crime fiction.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 527 reviews
June 16, 2016
No matter what goodreads tries to tell you, let me say that this is not YA. Even if the protagonist is young (19 or so), the book is vulgar, bloody, and explicit. Don't get me wrong; I don't mind any of those things. I'm only warning you, if you can't handle R rated movies, you probably can't handle this book.
That said, Ink Mage deserves a full five stars for the magic system alone. Mages gain the power to speak the language of the universe, or rather enhance their mental and physical powers, by inking special tattoos under their skin. Only few wizards remain with the knowledge of how to apply and implement these tattoos; Rina meets one of them after her parents and duchy are ripped from her by an invading force.
The magic system is original and creative. Each tattoo grants a specific ability, but what I liked most is that many of the tattoos don't necessarily grant a superpower; they just make someone especially good at a natural human skill. For example, Rina often uses a tattoo that clears her mind and makes her more perceptive, or another that makes her stronger. The more ordinary tattoos are the ones that prove most useful to Rina, and I think that makes a good point that you don't need to be more than human to make a difference. That's my take, anyway.
I had to knock one star off my rating because of the structure of the book, specifically the rapidly switching POVs. Victor Gischler was probably going for a Game of Thrones style book with many characters telling the story from all sides, but it didn't pan out that way. Many of the characters granted narration where too insignificant to warrant a personal point of view. The Perranese general for example, or the soldier pursueing Rina, had chapters for no apparent reason and distracted from the main plot. Just Rina, Alem, and Tosh would have sufficed as focus characters.
That said, Ink Mage deserves a full five stars for the magic system alone. Mages gain the power to speak the language of the universe, or rather enhance their mental and physical powers, by inking special tattoos under their skin. Only few wizards remain with the knowledge of how to apply and implement these tattoos; Rina meets one of them after her parents and duchy are ripped from her by an invading force.
The magic system is original and creative. Each tattoo grants a specific ability, but what I liked most is that many of the tattoos don't necessarily grant a superpower; they just make someone especially good at a natural human skill. For example, Rina often uses a tattoo that clears her mind and makes her more perceptive, or another that makes her stronger. The more ordinary tattoos are the ones that prove most useful to Rina, and I think that makes a good point that you don't need to be more than human to make a difference. That's my take, anyway.
I had to knock one star off my rating because of the structure of the book, specifically the rapidly switching POVs. Victor Gischler was probably going for a Game of Thrones style book with many characters telling the story from all sides, but it didn't pan out that way. Many of the characters granted narration where too insignificant to warrant a personal point of view. The Perranese general for example, or the soldier pursueing Rina, had chapters for no apparent reason and distracted from the main plot. Just Rina, Alem, and Tosh would have sufficed as focus characters.
March 21, 2016
The city of Klaar is impregnable. It's Long Bridge and massive walls have never been bested by an enemy...until it was betrayed by one of their own. The Duke and Duchess were murdered, while their daughter Rina Veraiin was able to escape with the help of her bodyguard and teacher Kork. Kork following the Duke's last wishes takes Rina to an old mage who bestows upon her the special tattooed based magical power of an Ink Mage. Rina sets out to get help to reclaim her home.
When I read the synopsis for Ink Mage, it sounded interesting to me so I decided to give it a try. I didn't imagine I'd enjoy it as much as I did. Victor Gischler created an interesting world with compelling characters and amazing abilities.
By far the most interesting part of the story was the abilities of an Ink Mage. It's an old power that mages tattoo on people. A power source is tattooed on the back called a prime and additional tattoos can be added to provide different abilities. I've seen tattoos used to bestow power in other series, but never in such a unique fashion. It's somewhat akin to the wandering warriors from old stories who travel from master to master in search of new techniques. The difference is that instead of teaching techniques mages gift them to those seeking powers by tattooing them. No lessons needed really, it's simply a matter of gaining the tattoo and learning to wield the power.
The story is told from multiple point of views. The protagonists are the primary point of view characters, but the antagonists also receive point of view chapters from time to time. I enjoy having a story told by multiple characters, it gives a more diverse experience and allows the reader to really understand a multitude of characters rather than just one.
Ink Mage was perhaps one of the more sexually graphic fantasy novels I've read in a while. There is no fade to black when things get physical. There are quite a few of these scenes as a myriad of prostitutes appear throughout the story.
In the end I have to say Ink Mage was really a good story. I'm excited to read the sequel.
4 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the synopsis for Ink Mage, it sounded interesting to me so I decided to give it a try. I didn't imagine I'd enjoy it as much as I did. Victor Gischler created an interesting world with compelling characters and amazing abilities.
By far the most interesting part of the story was the abilities of an Ink Mage. It's an old power that mages tattoo on people. A power source is tattooed on the back called a prime and additional tattoos can be added to provide different abilities. I've seen tattoos used to bestow power in other series, but never in such a unique fashion. It's somewhat akin to the wandering warriors from old stories who travel from master to master in search of new techniques. The difference is that instead of teaching techniques mages gift them to those seeking powers by tattooing them. No lessons needed really, it's simply a matter of gaining the tattoo and learning to wield the power.
The story is told from multiple point of views. The protagonists are the primary point of view characters, but the antagonists also receive point of view chapters from time to time. I enjoy having a story told by multiple characters, it gives a more diverse experience and allows the reader to really understand a multitude of characters rather than just one.
Ink Mage was perhaps one of the more sexually graphic fantasy novels I've read in a while. There is no fade to black when things get physical. There are quite a few of these scenes as a myriad of prostitutes appear throughout the story.
In the end I have to say Ink Mage was really a good story. I'm excited to read the sequel.
4 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2014
Well this was a hot mess. Which caught me by surprise because the author, Victor Gischler is a published writer with award nominations to his name. I haven't read his prose previously but had read some of his comic book work. It wasn't amazing, but it was fundamentally competent. So what went wrong here?
I have a few theories about that, but first some information about the book. The Ink Mage is in essence a fairly traditional fantasy adventure story about a young girl (who also happens to be a duchess) who comes into power and has to rescue her city. I went into it expecting what I term adolescent fantasy.
Adolescent Fantasy
I use that phrase not to denigrate the stories but to describe the type of plot where the focus is a youthful hero growing up and coming into their own. These stories generally have a pretty romanticized view of the world and a positive outlook. I find them quite refreshing to read when they are done well. It makes a change from the grimdark.
Unfortunately The Ink Mage doesn't actually seem to know what it wants to be. Because while it has all the elements in place for an adolescent fantasy story, it keeps drifting into grimdark territory. The result is extremely uneven and attempted rape scenes or sex scenes that just feel wildly out of place with the rest of the story.
You see The Ink Mage exists in what is definitely a simplified and romanticized fantasy world so these sudden plunges into realism only serve to highlight the artificial nature of the story construct.
Really, you've got to pick a style and go with it.
Lurching From Scene To Scene
There's another structural problem with The Ink Mage and I suspect it is a result of the story's origin as a Kindle Serial. The book is split into several episodes each of which was released as a Kindle Single. But there's a skill to writing a serial and both keeping each part interesting while also keeping the story as a whole cohesive.
There are points in The Ink Mage where stuff happens just to create a dramatic introductory moment or a cliffhanger scene. These moments don't actually have any significance to the ongoing narrative, so as a reader I'm left wondering why this happened and why I'm supposed to care about it.
These moments may have worked better in serial form but reading this as a novel they make the story feel unfinished, like the author never got round to cleaning up after his first draft.
Moving The Pieces Around The Board
If those were the only problems with this book it would be bad enough. But they're not. The character work here is minimal at best. Our viewpoint characters do get a little exploration but everyone else rather obviously exists just to serve the plot.
There isn't even a pretense at giving them any sort of background or anything beyond the most basic personality. And in some cases what minimal personality they do have is casually discarded in order to have them do what the story needs them to do.
I have said in other reviews that a character can be made to do just about anything if you set the scenes up right. And I think that's true. But it's something you have to earn. You have to build up to the apparently out of character behavior. You don't just have it happen and assume the reader will be fine with it.
You also shouldn't have characters do things that won't make sense to the reader without finding a way to explain it. Why are all these mages and priests so happy to provide Rina Veraiin with magical tattoos? Not once are we given a reason for this. It happens because it needs to happen.
Perhaps the worst character offense the author commits is to sacrifice one of the characters in the goal of a tragic moment near the end, only to make me as a reader realise that I know so little about the character I really don't care that she's dead.
A Mishmash Of Magic
But wait, there's more! I've seen comments elsewhere about how interesting the magic system is in this book. But it's really not a system. It's a mishmash of elements, none of which are explained at all.
We have Dungeons and Dragons style magic users, Ink Mages who get their power from magical tattoos, wizards who ink tattoos (but we aren't told where their power comes from), oh and priests who presumably get their power from the gods, except those gods aren't even mentioned until about three quarters of the way into the book.
That is not a Magic System, it's one kind of cool idea surrounded by a bunch of clichés.
There's another problem with this ink based magic too. It's basically just superpowers in a fantasy setting. Several books have taken this approach (including Brandon Sanderson in Mistborn) and it's one of my least favorite ways to use magic. But it can be made to work if you make the effort.
Here though Rina just rides around the countryside (not bothering to warn her King that his country has been invaded) collecting tattoos so she can be strong and fast and heal. There's nothing clever or original going on here at all.
Respect Your World
Next problem! Gischler's writing style clashes with the world he's presenting in this book. We're given a world that is a traditional fantasy setting. Middle Ages, minimal science. But the characters all speak and act in a modern way.
The most obvious example of that is that we're supposed to believe the peasants of Klaar would feel patriotic towards their country and care who was ruling them.
No. They wouldn't. They're peasants. Their life sucks either way. They are just not going to form a rebellion unless you actually show the invaders being noticeably more unpleasant to them than their former ruler was. The notions of national pride and patriotism are comparatively modern constructs. If you're going to use them in your fantasy world, you'd better build in the elements that make them make sense.
And if you're going to set up a Kingdom that's being invaded, don't try to tell me that the King will play politics and refuse to remove the invaders from his country just so he can try to get a Duchess to marry his son. For a start, he's the King. If he wants the Duchess to marry his son… she marries his son. Secondly he can't simply ignore an invading army. That's both tactically and strategically idiotic.
Do You Have Anything Good To Say?
Well it has a nice cover…
March 27, 2018
This book was all over the place. Or maybe I was all over the place. Either way we were both hot messes once it was over.
Ink Mage.. oh man, where to start. It's about Rina who is a duchess but she's also an army of one. She has a pretty huge goal that is sort of achievable. Rina wants to reclaim her damn city. Oh and she also has some weird ass inked magic on her skin.
Remember how I said that this book was a hot mess.. it was like a constant hot and cold flip flopping mess. It was boring, like really really boring in parts.. but then you get slapped with some excitement.. only to face more boring shit right after.
Plus the whole multiple POVs didn't really work for me. It was all over the place for me. It was kind of hard to keep track of who was what and their life within the 70ish chapters. Character growth or development didn't match what I was reading. There were so many plot holes in this book and I was just getting confused with each page.
I guess I liked Rina has an MC but I wouldn't say she's my favorite. Then there's Alem, which is a weird name, but his growth just confused the shit out of me. Then there was some romance development, which I will admit at one point I did want to ship Rina with someone just to keep myself entertained.. but it also just kind of seemed random to me at the same time?
Again, I'm a hot mess after this book. I'm confused. I'm shook.
Overall, it was a really weird book. Would I reread it? Probably not. Will I move onto the second book? Maybe.. but I don't know.
Ink Mage.. oh man, where to start. It's about Rina who is a duchess but she's also an army of one. She has a pretty huge goal that is sort of achievable. Rina wants to reclaim her damn city. Oh and she also has some weird ass inked magic on her skin.
Remember how I said that this book was a hot mess.. it was like a constant hot and cold flip flopping mess. It was boring, like really really boring in parts.. but then you get slapped with some excitement.. only to face more boring shit right after.
Plus the whole multiple POVs didn't really work for me. It was all over the place for me. It was kind of hard to keep track of who was what and their life within the 70ish chapters. Character growth or development didn't match what I was reading. There were so many plot holes in this book and I was just getting confused with each page.
I guess I liked Rina has an MC but I wouldn't say she's my favorite. Then there's Alem, which is a weird name, but his growth just confused the shit out of me. Then there was some romance development, which I will admit at one point I did want to ship Rina with someone just to keep myself entertained.. but it also just kind of seemed random to me at the same time?
Again, I'm a hot mess after this book. I'm confused. I'm shook.
Overall, it was a really weird book. Would I reread it? Probably not. Will I move onto the second book? Maybe.. but I don't know.
July 29, 2016
The most frustrating read ever! Not the actual story but the way the book was delivered. This was my first and last time at reading a Kindle Serial book which is released in small episodes every 2-3 weeks. I was especially frustrated when I would finish each episode in 15 minutes and then have to wait weeks for the next bit. My husband would hear me cursing the book every time I got a new bit to read and had to wait. It looks like the book is now available to download in its entirety so folks don't have to endure the torture.
The story was pretty good and it makes for an easy/fun read. I would have given this more stars if I didn't have so much resentment over the waiting game with the serial releases.
The story was pretty good and it makes for an easy/fun read. I would have given this more stars if I didn't have so much resentment over the waiting game with the serial releases.
February 3, 2019
My first Audiobook!
I must say I don't know how you guys do it. The narrator had a really nice voice and was very good at miming the different characters. I liked her. It took a while to get into though, the audiobook. First, how do you guys listen for 7hrs to the same book! I think Audiobooks will be a rarity for me. It wasn't until 10% I realized I could speed it up, I was almost going crazy. Even sped up , it was slow. I found myself reading the page and then waiting for the narrator to catch up. I was able to listen while on the move so that's a plus. I finally gave up and read it by myself at 94%, this is quite possibly the longest time I've spent reading a book.
On to the book
It was quite nice, I liked it. Rina was quite a formidable heroine and she didn't start that way, you could see the growth with each passing page. The secondary characters were also pleasant. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Audibook>>>4.5 stars
Book>>>4 stars
I must say I don't know how you guys do it. The narrator had a really nice voice and was very good at miming the different characters. I liked her. It took a while to get into though, the audiobook. First, how do you guys listen for 7hrs to the same book! I think Audiobooks will be a rarity for me. It wasn't until 10% I realized I could speed it up, I was almost going crazy. Even sped up , it was slow. I found myself reading the page and then waiting for the narrator to catch up. I was able to listen while on the move so that's a plus. I finally gave up and read it by myself at 94%, this is quite possibly the longest time I've spent reading a book.
On to the book
It was quite nice, I liked it. Rina was quite a formidable heroine and she didn't start that way, you could see the growth with each passing page. The secondary characters were also pleasant. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Audibook>>>4.5 stars
Book>>>4 stars
May 4, 2016
2.75 inky stars
Strange how honors and burdens are so often confused.
Rina is the would-be duchess in Klaar, when the supposed inexpugnable city is conquered by the Perranese a loyal help her to flee the city.
Let me get strait that this is not a YA book. There is a lot of sex and violence. The tone following the vicissitudes of Tosh -the deserter soldier and one of the others POV- in the city is really diferent, crude and more realistic, than the adventures following Rina traipsing in the wild searching for the wizards with no plan in her head.
What is her aim? Revenge? To me, is like she only wants to be back to her old life. In any moment she thinks in the people of Klaar . She ask a ton of Alem, treating him like a servant and not even thank him. And the fool follow her like a puppy ...
“Rina Veraiin will never know happiness,” Maurizan said. “She is consumed by her own potential, by what she thinks fate has destined for her. She wears her destiny around her neck like a lead weight. It will drag down anyone who tries to hold her up.”
Rina is searching power. Because never mind all the secretive, and the warning about the dangerous wizards, people keep pointing in their direction with a wink to her and they just give up their knowlege?? pleeease. And she master those power in a blink , of course.
The idea of the ink is interesting . Specially But with the last addition she is too much.
Torsh in the tavern and Braisley with his politics are more credible, specially the guy trying to scape from all this.
Tosh opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t think of anything that mattered. He tried not to cry, but the ache behind his eyes overpowered him. He let it go and cried with abandon, his animal keening echoing along the deserted, snow-crusted streets of Klaar.
I feel you, Tosh.
**Digital edition courtesy of Netgalley**
Strange how honors and burdens are so often confused.
Rina is the would-be duchess in Klaar, when the supposed inexpugnable city is conquered by the Perranese a loyal help her to flee the city.
Let me get strait that this is not a YA book. There is a lot of sex and violence. The tone following the vicissitudes of Tosh -the deserter soldier and one of the others POV- in the city is really diferent, crude and more realistic, than the adventures following Rina traipsing in the wild searching for the wizards with no plan in her head.
What is her aim? Revenge? To me, is like she only wants to be back to her old life. In any moment she thinks in the people of Klaar . She ask a ton of Alem, treating him like a servant and not even thank him. And the fool follow her like a puppy ...
“Rina Veraiin will never know happiness,” Maurizan said. “She is consumed by her own potential, by what she thinks fate has destined for her. She wears her destiny around her neck like a lead weight. It will drag down anyone who tries to hold her up.”
Rina is searching power. Because never mind all the secretive, and the warning about the dangerous wizards, people keep pointing in their direction with a wink to her and they just give up their knowlege?? pleeease. And she master those power in a blink , of course.
The idea of the ink is interesting . Specially But with the last addition she is too much.
Torsh in the tavern and Braisley with his politics are more credible, specially the guy trying to scape from all this.
Tosh opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t think of anything that mattered. He tried not to cry, but the ache behind his eyes overpowered him. He let it go and cried with abandon, his animal keening echoing along the deserted, snow-crusted streets of Klaar.
I feel you, Tosh.
**Digital edition courtesy of Netgalley**
December 18, 2016
Ink Mage by Victor Gischler is a wonderful fantasy novel about a girl, a duchess, that sees her father and mother murdered in front of her by an invading army and traitor. She is helped out of the city by her body guard and friend to see a wizard that gives her a powerful and magical tattoo that strengthens her body and helps her fight. She later gets more tattoos and soon so is very powerful. She is also assisted by others and they have many adventures on the way. Lots of characters and stories in the book that come together near the end, great weave. I won't tell more but it is very exciting,full of action, imagination, blow by blow play that happens quickly, amazing feats, a bit of romance, a wonderful plot and complex characters. I want to see more. I was given this book for a honest review from NetGalley but will look for the next book, it was that good. Loved it! Fantasy at it's best.
January 10, 2020
Can't have a fantasy without betrayal, war, magic and much more.
Rina finds herself fighting to get her home back by all means. Even those of the village helping by all they can.
Enjoyable read. Good characters. Loved the journey.
Rina finds herself fighting to get her home back by all means. Even those of the village helping by all they can.
Enjoyable read. Good characters. Loved the journey.
January 11, 2016
super religious people don't like this book because of all of the swearing, apparently. shit, that's too fucking bad for them I guess. makes me like it even more, goddamnit.
December 23, 2022
Alright, so here's the thing. This is probably really only a 3 star book (maybe even 2 star if I think about it too much). However, after reading the author's bio and realizing he received his PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi I had to show some love. Probably not the best way to rate a book, but hey, it's my rating so...
Honestly, the book is not bad. It's just not great either. It's told from multiple POVs, and when I say multiple I mean like 6+. I'm not a huge fan of that writing style so immediately I put my guard up going, "Hmmmm....I wonder what else is going to piss me off?" And I was not disappointed. As a matter of fact, several other things managed to join my little list of "things that annoyed me" with a big part of that being the magic system. Oh, the non-magical magic..
Aside from the magic, I don't think the characters were fleshed out enough, even for a first book in a series. I blame that partially on the jumping POVs.
I did really like the idea behind I think so much more could have done on that end but the writer again failed to fully bring about this conceptualization. Again, I'm blaming this grievance on the multi POV.
Can you tell how much that irked me?
So once again, I'm left reading a book (skimming the last 25%) where I keep hoping for redemption. I keep expecting something....well, something captivating and magical, something extraordinary that will leave me closing the book thinking, "Wow. I was not expecting that! Man, I'm so happy I finished it! " but instead I'm left with, "Well, really what did I expect? It was free with Kindle unlimited." Ho hum.
Honestly, the book is not bad. It's just not great either. It's told from multiple POVs, and when I say multiple I mean like 6+. I'm not a huge fan of that writing style so immediately I put my guard up going, "Hmmmm....I wonder what else is going to piss me off?" And I was not disappointed. As a matter of fact, several other things managed to join my little list of "things that annoyed me" with a big part of that being the magic system. Oh, the non-magical magic..
Aside from the magic, I don't think the characters were fleshed out enough, even for a first book in a series. I blame that partially on the jumping POVs.
I did really like the idea behind I think so much more could have done on that end but the writer again failed to fully bring about this conceptualization. Again, I'm blaming this grievance on the multi POV.
Can you tell how much that irked me?
So once again, I'm left reading a book (skimming the last 25%) where I keep hoping for redemption. I keep expecting something....well, something captivating and magical, something extraordinary that will leave me closing the book thinking, "Wow. I was not expecting that! Man, I'm so happy I finished it! " but instead I'm left with, "Well, really what did I expect? It was free with Kindle unlimited." Ho hum.
April 2, 2014
INK MAGE opens in dramatic fashion, thrusting the reader head on into a world of warfare and violence. Blood is spilt, heroes are felled, and the homeland of Rina, soon to be Dutches by virtue of her father’s murder, is overrun by the invading Parranese.
Author Victor Gischler’s deep dive into the surreal results in a fast paced fantasy that envelops the reader in a fantastical shroud of magic, monsters and mystical lore from start to finish. Rina’s initial battle alongside the devastating violent and protective Kork in the early stages of the book sets the tone for strong character development and provides a pathway cut through the meaty flesh of invaders towards her first tattoo, spawning the adventure and creating the legend.
Double crosses and questionable allegiances ensue as Rina seeks help from all manner of unlikely sources to rid her homeland of its conquering guests (including gypsies). Aided by a likeable cast including Alem and Tosh, Victor Gischler ensures INK MAGE remains fresh by virtue of varying perspectives and allowing for respective telling of events through differing eyes. This allows for the blend of magic/warfare/and traditional fantasy quest elements to merge seamlessly into the broader tale.
I had the luxury of reading INK MAGE as a single volume and I’m glad that was the case as the pace of story made for a quick read – in serial format, I would’ve been too impatient waiting for each instalment.
I’m keen to see where Victor Gischler takes this series next.
Author Victor Gischler’s deep dive into the surreal results in a fast paced fantasy that envelops the reader in a fantastical shroud of magic, monsters and mystical lore from start to finish. Rina’s initial battle alongside the devastating violent and protective Kork in the early stages of the book sets the tone for strong character development and provides a pathway cut through the meaty flesh of invaders towards her first tattoo, spawning the adventure and creating the legend.
Double crosses and questionable allegiances ensue as Rina seeks help from all manner of unlikely sources to rid her homeland of its conquering guests (including gypsies). Aided by a likeable cast including Alem and Tosh, Victor Gischler ensures INK MAGE remains fresh by virtue of varying perspectives and allowing for respective telling of events through differing eyes. This allows for the blend of magic/warfare/and traditional fantasy quest elements to merge seamlessly into the broader tale.
I had the luxury of reading INK MAGE as a single volume and I’m glad that was the case as the pace of story made for a quick read – in serial format, I would’ve been too impatient waiting for each instalment.
I’m keen to see where Victor Gischler takes this series next.
October 18, 2014
This was a most interesting read. A magic system based mainly on tattoos? Color me intrigued. As it turns out, this has basis in our history, as yantra tattooing.
Yantra tattoos are supposed to be a sort of good luck charm, or bestow magical powers, much like in this book. The practice is two millennia old.
Ink Mage certainly follows some Game of Thrones clichés. Almost rape? Check. People getting killed left and right? Double check. Turncoat traitors? You betcha.
While I understand the need to follow some of the fantasy industry's "swing" into darker themes and gray morality, there was a certain amount of eye-rolling on my part in the first chapters of this book. Of three people who were killed in the first part, I only felt the slightest twinge of pity for one of them. The brutality didn't ring true for me, because I wasn't invested in the characters at all (at that early point). When Bran Stark made his fall from the window, I felt awful. And that was in the early pages of Game of Thrones, and he didn't even die.
It is unfair of me to compare this book with one that is almost a masterpiece. But by injecting grit into a fantasy in the form of blasé violence that didn't quite seem realistic, this intriguing book commenced with a thud.
Read more at:
http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspo...
Yantra tattoos are supposed to be a sort of good luck charm, or bestow magical powers, much like in this book. The practice is two millennia old.
Ink Mage certainly follows some Game of Thrones clichés. Almost rape? Check. People getting killed left and right? Double check. Turncoat traitors? You betcha.
While I understand the need to follow some of the fantasy industry's "swing" into darker themes and gray morality, there was a certain amount of eye-rolling on my part in the first chapters of this book. Of three people who were killed in the first part, I only felt the slightest twinge of pity for one of them. The brutality didn't ring true for me, because I wasn't invested in the characters at all (at that early point). When Bran Stark made his fall from the window, I felt awful. And that was in the early pages of Game of Thrones, and he didn't even die.
It is unfair of me to compare this book with one that is almost a masterpiece. But by injecting grit into a fantasy in the form of blasé violence that didn't quite seem realistic, this intriguing book commenced with a thud.
Read more at:
http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspo...
February 21, 2016
I enjoyed this one. not spectacular, but my first 4 star in a while. I like the girl growing into a woman, a duchess, a magic user, a leader, a lover heroine. I like the world, the magic, the plot, the sidekicks, the adventure. and that's what this is overall--a fun adventure. I'm heading off into book 2 now. Which just might be all my review needed to say.
July 7, 2014
Okay, we’ve got a pretty basic fantasy plot here: somewhat spoiled (but plucky) heir to the throne is betrayed, her family murdered, her kingdom (duchy, actually) conquered, and she ends up in exile, where she meets a mysterious old man who gives her the power to wreak her vengeance on her betrayers. She also assembles a ragtag crew of misfits, etc.
The difference is, this well-used plot is brought to life this time by Victor Gischler, who cut his teeth writing some of the best hardboiled crime fiction EVER. So a plot that would take hundreds of pages to get going in the hands of your average fantasy writer moves along at the brisk pace of a pulp novel, which is refreshing. There’s no wasted time here. There's also plenty of blood and guts and swinging of swords, all rendered in clear, coherent, and pleasing fashion. There's room for a sequel, but the ending wraps up the story (unlike a lot of fantasy novels that leave you hanging to get you to buy the next overwritten bloated installment).
Recommended.
PS: if it matters, I read it in the final version, not as a serial.
The difference is, this well-used plot is brought to life this time by Victor Gischler, who cut his teeth writing some of the best hardboiled crime fiction EVER. So a plot that would take hundreds of pages to get going in the hands of your average fantasy writer moves along at the brisk pace of a pulp novel, which is refreshing. There’s no wasted time here. There's also plenty of blood and guts and swinging of swords, all rendered in clear, coherent, and pleasing fashion. There's room for a sequel, but the ending wraps up the story (unlike a lot of fantasy novels that leave you hanging to get you to buy the next overwritten bloated installment).
Recommended.
PS: if it matters, I read it in the final version, not as a serial.
May 18, 2016
3.5 An interesting book with multi POV's that did get a bit confusing at times hence the 3.5. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the next few books as this was really just the beginning. I'm not a big fan of all these books that get split up into small books when they really could quiet easily have been written as one. It's all about the $ i guess. I would like to point out this is not suitable for a young YA book. Lots of blood a gore, plenty of fighting throw in some rape scenes, a little romance and to round it off with some magic if you are lucky enough to have been give some unique tattoos.
August 30, 2018
2.4
This book started out like something I was really up for: a simple and fun fantasy novel full of magic and adventure. Rina seemed like a good protagonist too as she’s competent, but a little naïve, leaving room for success while still learning from her adventures. Then there was what seemed like a pretty fun and straight-forward plot structure involving traveling to different ink mages to gain powers with hopes of preparing to fight back against those who have wronged her family, a structure almost like a RPG with the sense of progress checked off by each power-up along the way with the added cool factor of new abilities.
Unfortunately, these aspects were bogged down significantly by a couple factors: (1) forced grimdark and "gritty" fantasy clichés; and (2) the serial structure of the story that was later compiled into a book without modification (at least as I understand it), which causes the plotting and pacing to feel very all over the place.
There is lots of sex throughout the book, to the point it feels like a TV show looking for ratings by throwing in some gratuitous nudity at least once per episode. The fact this was initially a serial makes me think this explanation might be more accurate than I might’ve otherwise thought. There are also plenty of soldier characters whose whole life (and existence in the novel) seems to revolve around raping and whoring (and assumedly fighting on occasion I guess). A lot of the sex is fairly gross and not much of it seems 100% consensual. The worst part is that none of it felt like it fit the rest of the story at all. It’s totally okay if a story isn’t some representation of every harsh reality imaginable in the setting. This is especially true when other aspects of the story feel romanticized with little real explanation (ie, how loyal and committed the common people are to their former duke when the invaders haven’t treated them all that poorly and the duke wasn’t especially benevolent. I’m not sure why these common people cared as if they were some loyal knights carrying out their oaths). It would’ve been one thing if the sexual detours were just every now and then, but there are a lot in this book, especially with the villain whose chapters are mostly just sex scenes. His POV could’ve been cut entirely and the book would’ve been much stronger. None of the sex scenes comported with Rina’s narrative and generally came in through other POVs that were barely relevant, if at all. This also led to the book having way more POVs than it needed. It’s as if after starting the story, the author decided to go in a totally different direction but wasn’t able to make the rest of it consistent with those goals.
The main plot follows a somewhat sheltered girl whose ability to solve problems mostly comes from her fighting skills and her status as a duchess. And I liked that setup with a strong and competent young woman who is generally respected instead of the typical cliché of her being looked down upon as a noble woman picking up a sword. Those stories are important, but there are so many of them already. Instead, I was looking forward to a story about a chick who just kicks some ass without dealing with a bunch of criticism for existing. In my opinion, the book delivers on this, but only very occasionally. In part, this is because despite escaping some of those clichés, basically every man Rina meets wants to get with her, even when they’re decades older than her. That makes some sense given her status, but at parts like these, I often forgot she’s even vaguely competent as much of her character tends to fall by the wayside for this middle segment of the book.
Some plot points didn’t make much sense, especially in the character motivation department. I didn’t mind too much at first as those motivations weren’t essential to the real force of the story, but it didn’t help a book that was already struggling in a lot of other areas. There were some questionable decisions as well that seemed based more on plot convenience than logic, for instance, trying to become an ink mage to single-handedly fight back against an invasion instead of going to your king for help against the invading force that’s taken over an entire duchy under his protection.
I see a lot of praise in other reviews for the magic system, but while it had some cool factor to it, it’s barely much of a “system” as there are few rules beyond the basic metaphysical explanations and the fact Rina’s powers depend on getting magical tattoos. They just sort of let her “do stuff.” Cool stuff here and there, but there’s not much discussion of costs, limitations, or resources that might make the magic more interesting. It was functional and still enjoyable given the aesthetic and I think it works well for the style of the book, but a “magic system” isn’t something I’d specifically praise the book for.
Overall, I thought this book was pretty flawed. It does have some really cool ideas and I find aspects of the overarching plot inspiring, but ultimately I have a hard time bumping my rating up too much. Simply because of that inspiration, I might continue onto the next book with hopes that it has less repetitive erotica, but I’ll be going in with pretty low expectations and looking at it as a book I’ll just zone out to. Plus, it's on Kindle Unlimited, so it won't cost me anything. Otherwise I might not bother.
This book started out like something I was really up for: a simple and fun fantasy novel full of magic and adventure. Rina seemed like a good protagonist too as she’s competent, but a little naïve, leaving room for success while still learning from her adventures. Then there was what seemed like a pretty fun and straight-forward plot structure involving traveling to different ink mages to gain powers with hopes of preparing to fight back against those who have wronged her family, a structure almost like a RPG with the sense of progress checked off by each power-up along the way with the added cool factor of new abilities.
Unfortunately, these aspects were bogged down significantly by a couple factors: (1) forced grimdark and "gritty" fantasy clichés; and (2) the serial structure of the story that was later compiled into a book without modification (at least as I understand it), which causes the plotting and pacing to feel very all over the place.
There is lots of sex throughout the book, to the point it feels like a TV show looking for ratings by throwing in some gratuitous nudity at least once per episode. The fact this was initially a serial makes me think this explanation might be more accurate than I might’ve otherwise thought. There are also plenty of soldier characters whose whole life (and existence in the novel) seems to revolve around raping and whoring (and assumedly fighting on occasion I guess). A lot of the sex is fairly gross and not much of it seems 100% consensual. The worst part is that none of it felt like it fit the rest of the story at all. It’s totally okay if a story isn’t some representation of every harsh reality imaginable in the setting. This is especially true when other aspects of the story feel romanticized with little real explanation (ie, how loyal and committed the common people are to their former duke when the invaders haven’t treated them all that poorly and the duke wasn’t especially benevolent. I’m not sure why these common people cared as if they were some loyal knights carrying out their oaths). It would’ve been one thing if the sexual detours were just every now and then, but there are a lot in this book, especially with the villain whose chapters are mostly just sex scenes. His POV could’ve been cut entirely and the book would’ve been much stronger. None of the sex scenes comported with Rina’s narrative and generally came in through other POVs that were barely relevant, if at all. This also led to the book having way more POVs than it needed. It’s as if after starting the story, the author decided to go in a totally different direction but wasn’t able to make the rest of it consistent with those goals.
The main plot follows a somewhat sheltered girl whose ability to solve problems mostly comes from her fighting skills and her status as a duchess. And I liked that setup with a strong and competent young woman who is generally respected instead of the typical cliché of her being looked down upon as a noble woman picking up a sword. Those stories are important, but there are so many of them already. Instead, I was looking forward to a story about a chick who just kicks some ass without dealing with a bunch of criticism for existing. In my opinion, the book delivers on this, but only very occasionally. In part, this is because despite escaping some of those clichés, basically every man Rina meets wants to get with her, even when they’re decades older than her. That makes some sense given her status, but at parts like these, I often forgot she’s even vaguely competent as much of her character tends to fall by the wayside for this middle segment of the book.
Some plot points didn’t make much sense, especially in the character motivation department. I didn’t mind too much at first as those motivations weren’t essential to the real force of the story, but it didn’t help a book that was already struggling in a lot of other areas. There were some questionable decisions as well that seemed based more on plot convenience than logic, for instance, trying to become an ink mage to single-handedly fight back against an invasion instead of going to your king for help against the invading force that’s taken over an entire duchy under his protection.
I see a lot of praise in other reviews for the magic system, but while it had some cool factor to it, it’s barely much of a “system” as there are few rules beyond the basic metaphysical explanations and the fact Rina’s powers depend on getting magical tattoos. They just sort of let her “do stuff.” Cool stuff here and there, but there’s not much discussion of costs, limitations, or resources that might make the magic more interesting. It was functional and still enjoyable given the aesthetic and I think it works well for the style of the book, but a “magic system” isn’t something I’d specifically praise the book for.
Overall, I thought this book was pretty flawed. It does have some really cool ideas and I find aspects of the overarching plot inspiring, but ultimately I have a hard time bumping my rating up too much. Simply because of that inspiration, I might continue onto the next book with hopes that it has less repetitive erotica, but I’ll be going in with pretty low expectations and looking at it as a book I’ll just zone out to. Plus, it's on Kindle Unlimited, so it won't cost me anything. Otherwise I might not bother.
February 4, 2016
I received an e-book copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ink Mage is book 1 in the A Fire Beneath the Skin series.
I really liked the main story line and liked the idea of ink magic, which is the only thing that stoppped me from putting down the book.
Ink Mage is book 1 in the A Fire Beneath the Skin series.
I really liked the main story line and liked the idea of ink magic, which is the only thing that stoppped me from putting down the book.
December 27, 2023
This was actually a 3 to 4 star book (so I actually liked it), except for one thing.
I can't in good conscience give this book a higher rating than one star however, given the issue I discuss below.
The term 'gypsy' and its derivatives have frequently been used as racial slurs. In general, I would suggest that it is probably best avoided unless one belongs to a group labelled as 'gypsies': for the rest of us, when referring to a specific group such as the Roma, why not simply refer to them as Roma?
The Roma in particular have faced a long and painful history of racial oppression and even genocide, which continues to this day.
Some facts relating to this long and painful history:
(1) "The Roma (also known as Gypsies, Travellers, Sinti, Romani) are one of Europe’s oldest ethnic minorities. Scholars believe that they migrated from the Punjab region of India 1,500 years ago, probably as a result of the invasion of Alexander the Great. Like the Jews, the Roma have been persecuted since the Middle Ages; subjected to enslavement, expulsion and laws seeking to destroy their culture." (From here.)
The Roma have faced centuries of oppression.
(2) Along with Jews, Roma in Europe were massacred during the Holocaust. It has been estimated that approximately one fourth of Roma people were killed during this time.
"Among the groups the Nazi regime and its Axis partners singled out for persecution on so-called racial grounds were the Roma (Gypsies). Drawing support from many non-Nazi Germans who harbored social prejudice towards Roma, the Nazis judged Roma to be "racially inferior." The fate of Roma in some ways paralleled that of the Jews. Under the Nazi regime, German authorities subjected Roma to arbitrary internment, forced labor, and mass murder. German authorities murdered tens of thousands of Roma in the German-occupied territories of the Soviet Union and Serbia and thousands more in the killing centers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka. The SS and police incarcerated Roma in the Bergen-Belsen, Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Mauthausen, and Ravensbrück concentration camps. Both in the so-called Greater German Reich and in the so-called Generalgouvernement, German civilian authorities managed several forced-labor camps in which they incarcerated Roma." (From this reference.)
(3) Roma women faced decades of forced sterilization in Eastern Europe, during the post-war period. (See here, here and here.)
Roma women also continue to be forcibly sterilized to this day.
(4) The Roma people continue to face huge discrimination today.
"‘The majority [of Roma] should be delivered back to the borders,” thundered the interior minister. “We are not here to welcome these people.” (Manuel Valls, French interior minister in 2013.)
Such statements were not an isolated incident: in 2010 France began deporting members of the Roma population as part of a so-called "crackdown on illegal immigration".
They are frequently the target of racist attacks: "Many Roma live on the edges of communities or are transient. They suffer massive discrimination throughout Europe, according to Amnesty International, and are often the victims of forced evictions, racist attacks and ill-treatment by police, and are often denied their rights to housing, employment, health care and education.
In Slovakia, thousands of Roma children are placed in special schools and classes designed for pupils with "mild mental disabilities" or in ethnically segregated mainstream schools and classes that provide a substandard education, Amnesty says." (From this reference, dated 2010)
(5) The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the situation of the Roma in Europe and worsened the discrimination and oppression they face.
"Amid global Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality earlier this summer, Roma activists marched through Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. The Roma people are Europe’s largest ethnic minority and among its most persecuted." (From this reference.)
------------
In light of all these facts I was and still am really, really uncomfortable with a book presenting an entirely FICTIONAL (fantasy) universe which needs to reproduce these systems of oppression.
Was it really necessary, therefore, to have 'gypsies' who are reputed to be 'thieves'?
“They’re gypsies, all right,” Brasley whispered at Rina’s elbow. “Keep your hand on your coin purse.”
The main character muses the following while seeing one so-called 'gypsy' picking a lock: "Rina recalled Brasley’s warning to watch their coin purses upon entering the gypsy camp. They had a reputation as thieves. Maybe there was something to the stories after all."
Yikes. And nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.
I can't in good conscience give this book a higher rating than one star however, given the issue I discuss below.
The term 'gypsy' and its derivatives have frequently been used as racial slurs. In general, I would suggest that it is probably best avoided unless one belongs to a group labelled as 'gypsies': for the rest of us, when referring to a specific group such as the Roma, why not simply refer to them as Roma?
The Roma in particular have faced a long and painful history of racial oppression and even genocide, which continues to this day.
Some facts relating to this long and painful history:
(1) "The Roma (also known as Gypsies, Travellers, Sinti, Romani) are one of Europe’s oldest ethnic minorities. Scholars believe that they migrated from the Punjab region of India 1,500 years ago, probably as a result of the invasion of Alexander the Great. Like the Jews, the Roma have been persecuted since the Middle Ages; subjected to enslavement, expulsion and laws seeking to destroy their culture." (From here.)
The Roma have faced centuries of oppression.
(2) Along with Jews, Roma in Europe were massacred during the Holocaust. It has been estimated that approximately one fourth of Roma people were killed during this time.
"Among the groups the Nazi regime and its Axis partners singled out for persecution on so-called racial grounds were the Roma (Gypsies). Drawing support from many non-Nazi Germans who harbored social prejudice towards Roma, the Nazis judged Roma to be "racially inferior." The fate of Roma in some ways paralleled that of the Jews. Under the Nazi regime, German authorities subjected Roma to arbitrary internment, forced labor, and mass murder. German authorities murdered tens of thousands of Roma in the German-occupied territories of the Soviet Union and Serbia and thousands more in the killing centers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka. The SS and police incarcerated Roma in the Bergen-Belsen, Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Mauthausen, and Ravensbrück concentration camps. Both in the so-called Greater German Reich and in the so-called Generalgouvernement, German civilian authorities managed several forced-labor camps in which they incarcerated Roma." (From this reference.)
(3) Roma women faced decades of forced sterilization in Eastern Europe, during the post-war period. (See here, here and here.)
Roma women also continue to be forcibly sterilized to this day.
(4) The Roma people continue to face huge discrimination today.
"‘The majority [of Roma] should be delivered back to the borders,” thundered the interior minister. “We are not here to welcome these people.” (Manuel Valls, French interior minister in 2013.)
Such statements were not an isolated incident: in 2010 France began deporting members of the Roma population as part of a so-called "crackdown on illegal immigration".
They are frequently the target of racist attacks: "Many Roma live on the edges of communities or are transient. They suffer massive discrimination throughout Europe, according to Amnesty International, and are often the victims of forced evictions, racist attacks and ill-treatment by police, and are often denied their rights to housing, employment, health care and education.
In Slovakia, thousands of Roma children are placed in special schools and classes designed for pupils with "mild mental disabilities" or in ethnically segregated mainstream schools and classes that provide a substandard education, Amnesty says." (From this reference, dated 2010)
(5) The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the situation of the Roma in Europe and worsened the discrimination and oppression they face.
"Amid global Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality earlier this summer, Roma activists marched through Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. The Roma people are Europe’s largest ethnic minority and among its most persecuted." (From this reference.)
------------
In light of all these facts I was and still am really, really uncomfortable with a book presenting an entirely FICTIONAL (fantasy) universe which needs to reproduce these systems of oppression.
Was it really necessary, therefore, to have 'gypsies' who are reputed to be 'thieves'?
“They’re gypsies, all right,” Brasley whispered at Rina’s elbow. “Keep your hand on your coin purse.”
The main character muses the following while seeing one so-called 'gypsy' picking a lock: "Rina recalled Brasley’s warning to watch their coin purses upon entering the gypsy camp. They had a reputation as thieves. Maybe there was something to the stories after all."
Yikes. And nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.
August 31, 2024
Finally read this book that I bought seven years ago...
It's not classic literature but I did like it.
Three PoVs with frequent shifts, but unlike A Day of Fallen Night they aren't disorienting, probably because they are more tightly coupled.
There's some barely there token romance elements and secondary characters are killed off fairly frequently.
And the main character is basically a medium sized rock that rolls downhill growing in destructiveness without much challenge. Accumulating power-ups as she goes on her hero's journey.
It's not classic literature but I did like it.
Three PoVs with frequent shifts, but unlike A Day of Fallen Night they aren't disorienting, probably because they are more tightly coupled.
There's some barely there token romance elements and secondary characters are killed off fairly frequently.
And the main character is basically a medium sized rock that rolls downhill growing in destructiveness without much challenge. Accumulating power-ups as she goes on her hero's journey.
August 1, 2016
Disclaimer: I seem to have misspelled the named due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook and was to lazy to do a proper research first
I liked most of it, I liked the premise of the story (tattoos that give you magical powers, hello?!!!) but I just wasn't all that into it to be curious enough to read the next installments as well. Maybe one day, who knows.
Well the story follows three somewhat separate storylines if characters whose destinies intertwine. First if all we have Rena, the orphaned duchess who must start on a quest to find all the mages that can give her the tattoos she needs in order to save her duchy from being overtaken by a foreign army. At the same time she unknowingly provokes this other mage that is on a quest to collect the tattoos for selfish reasons only. Even if Rena did not have the character development that a figure in such a role should have had, I feel like the way she was shaped was indeed interesting and after all her character doesn't really have time for much development in that sense because she needs to become this super powerful mage in order to save her people and along the way she becomes a pretty tough woman, though not much of a duchess.
She's not in this battle alone, she has Alam, the head stable boy who cannot help but fall in love with the woman Rena has become and follows her faithfully in order to help her on her quest and simply be there for her whenever she needs someone by her side. I thought that was pretty cool.
Then there are two more characters which I quite enjoyed. Brazely, your typical bad boy who fights along the good side because it fits him so. And Tosh, who I think had a good story arch, turning away from his soldier duties only to fall back on his meager skills when time comes to help protect those he loves and I'm not saying that he goes back into fighting but that he helps train the company girls at the wounded bird who join in the fight against the polinesian army.
So all in all there wasn't much of a story and it dwindled a lot due to the fact that it was split in two pov, the final battles were more smoke than fire, but the characters made it worthwhile.
I liked most of it, I liked the premise of the story (tattoos that give you magical powers, hello?!!!) but I just wasn't all that into it to be curious enough to read the next installments as well. Maybe one day, who knows.
Well the story follows three somewhat separate storylines if characters whose destinies intertwine. First if all we have Rena, the orphaned duchess who must start on a quest to find all the mages that can give her the tattoos she needs in order to save her duchy from being overtaken by a foreign army. At the same time she unknowingly provokes this other mage that is on a quest to collect the tattoos for selfish reasons only. Even if Rena did not have the character development that a figure in such a role should have had, I feel like the way she was shaped was indeed interesting and after all her character doesn't really have time for much development in that sense because she needs to become this super powerful mage in order to save her people and along the way she becomes a pretty tough woman, though not much of a duchess.
She's not in this battle alone, she has Alam, the head stable boy who cannot help but fall in love with the woman Rena has become and follows her faithfully in order to help her on her quest and simply be there for her whenever she needs someone by her side. I thought that was pretty cool.
Then there are two more characters which I quite enjoyed. Brazely, your typical bad boy who fights along the good side because it fits him so. And Tosh, who I think had a good story arch, turning away from his soldier duties only to fall back on his meager skills when time comes to help protect those he loves and I'm not saying that he goes back into fighting but that he helps train the company girls at the wounded bird who join in the fight against the polinesian army.
So all in all there wasn't much of a story and it dwindled a lot due to the fact that it was split in two pov, the final battles were more smoke than fire, but the characters made it worthwhile.
November 2, 2017
2,5*
I really liked the idea that ink tattoos were some kind mediators between the wizard and the "spirit" and allowed to "tap" into the spirit and use magic. That would be so cool, wouldn't it?!
However, the easiness with which the tattoos were acquired, the fact that Rina was for no reason the only one who had it so easy and the fact in general that she just got lucky and met right people at right time kinda weighted it down.
Now about things that I didn't like:
- one-dimensional characters,
- very basic and hardly believable love story,
- sex scenes that felt kinda odd and out of place,
- coinsidences, coinsidences, coinsidences,
- running from one scene to another,
- the world, which might have been interesting as an idea, but felt more like a mess, because we got very little of it and only when it was necessary for the story.
I really liked the idea that ink tattoos were some kind mediators between the wizard and the "spirit" and allowed to "tap" into the spirit and use magic. That would be so cool, wouldn't it?!
However, the easiness with which the tattoos were acquired, the fact that Rina was for no reason the only one who had it so easy and the fact in general that she just got lucky and met right people at right time kinda weighted it down.
Now about things that I didn't like:
- one-dimensional characters,
- very basic and hardly believable love story,
- sex scenes that felt kinda odd and out of place,
- coinsidences, coinsidences, coinsidences,
- running from one scene to another,
- the world, which might have been interesting as an idea, but felt more like a mess, because we got very little of it and only when it was necessary for the story.
August 26, 2014
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!
Ink Mage is the story of Rina Veraiin and her struggles with the letter I. Just kidding... and her struggle to reclaim her duchy from an invading army. She vows revenge against the (one-note) bad guy(s) who took it from her but she's just a girl, how is she going to accomplish this? Enter: tattoo magic system!
Apparently, this book was originally released as a Kindle Serial but I received the full story all at once, which I was grateful for, because the action started right away and hooked me until I was finished. Instant gratification is the best, am I right?
The characterizations in this weren't the best- the bad guy was just a grouchy dude who wanted power and sex... that was it. I like my bad guys to have layers like Tywin Lannister. The world building left something to be desired as well. We breezed through multiple towns but didn't experience much of the changing cultures or landscapes beyond fighting over a well in a desert-y place and a very brief bar fight in another.
Strangely enough, my favorite character in this was Brasley, the drunken, gambler noble who goes ahead of Rina to the capital to try to secure her an introduction to the king. I wanted to read more about his machiavellian maneuverings and delicate (or not-so-delicate) "social climbing."
The magic system was easily the best part of this book. It reminded me of the Iron Druid Chronicles in that Rina gets her powers through her body art but, unlike the Iron Druid, she isn't limited to earth magic. She can cast whatever spell is linked to the art. The possibilities are infinite!
I would definitely read another book in this series. Despite some complaints about the characterizations and world, the pace was excellent and I am interested to see where Gischler takes this magic system. Fans of the Iron Druid Chronicles may enjoy this.
Ink Mage is the story of Rina Veraiin and her struggles with the letter I. Just kidding... and her struggle to reclaim her duchy from an invading army. She vows revenge against the (one-note) bad guy(s) who took it from her but she's just a girl, how is she going to accomplish this? Enter: tattoo magic system!
Apparently, this book was originally released as a Kindle Serial but I received the full story all at once, which I was grateful for, because the action started right away and hooked me until I was finished. Instant gratification is the best, am I right?
The characterizations in this weren't the best- the bad guy was just a grouchy dude who wanted power and sex... that was it. I like my bad guys to have layers like Tywin Lannister. The world building left something to be desired as well. We breezed through multiple towns but didn't experience much of the changing cultures or landscapes beyond fighting over a well in a desert-y place and a very brief bar fight in another.
Strangely enough, my favorite character in this was Brasley, the drunken, gambler noble who goes ahead of Rina to the capital to try to secure her an introduction to the king. I wanted to read more about his machiavellian maneuverings and delicate (or not-so-delicate) "social climbing."
The magic system was easily the best part of this book. It reminded me of the Iron Druid Chronicles in that Rina gets her powers through her body art but, unlike the Iron Druid, she isn't limited to earth magic. She can cast whatever spell is linked to the art. The possibilities are infinite!
I would definitely read another book in this series. Despite some complaints about the characterizations and world, the pace was excellent and I am interested to see where Gischler takes this magic system. Fans of the Iron Druid Chronicles may enjoy this.
April 10, 2017
2.5ish stars
The city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has crossed the Long Bridge or penetrated the city’s great walls. No one could have foreseen the betrayal from within the fortress’s walls. After a dramatic turn of events, the young duke’s daughter, Rina, finds herself a duchess and an army of one. Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim her city through whatever means necessary, even if that includes strange magic inked on to her skin.
I had mixed feelings while reading. There were huge gaps in the story because the POV changed every chapter. I felt like we missed a lot of the story when we switched characters and it just made the story's sense of time more confusing. I didn't care for a few characters and felt disconnected. I was indifferent to the romance! That is a downer. ):
A story with multiple POV is usually a hit of miss. I think this story could have benefits from more chapters from Rina. It was spread so thin amongst the characters that I lacked the kinship with the characters. We didn't really get very deep into the characters; it was all surface. What is driving the characters; why do they fight for the cause?
There were other gaps in the story that just seemed random. Like when did Alem learn to shoot a bow? There is freakin no way he was able to hit a target on his first try! When/How did this romance start to develop? It seemed a bit random.
I'm not so sure I'll be continuing the series because I have so many books on my TBR.
The city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has crossed the Long Bridge or penetrated the city’s great walls. No one could have foreseen the betrayal from within the fortress’s walls. After a dramatic turn of events, the young duke’s daughter, Rina, finds herself a duchess and an army of one. Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim her city through whatever means necessary, even if that includes strange magic inked on to her skin.
I had mixed feelings while reading. There were huge gaps in the story because the POV changed every chapter. I felt like we missed a lot of the story when we switched characters and it just made the story's sense of time more confusing. I didn't care for a few characters and felt disconnected. I was indifferent to the romance! That is a downer. ):
A story with multiple POV is usually a hit of miss. I think this story could have benefits from more chapters from Rina. It was spread so thin amongst the characters that I lacked the kinship with the characters. We didn't really get very deep into the characters; it was all surface. What is driving the characters; why do they fight for the cause?
There were other gaps in the story that just seemed random. Like when did Alem learn to shoot a bow? There is freakin no way he was able to hit a target on his first try! When/How did this romance start to develop? It seemed a bit random.
I'm not so sure I'll be continuing the series because I have so many books on my TBR.
February 20, 2016
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Her city was never taken, until now. The last of her line, young Rina must flee and along the way is turned into an Ink Mage. With every tattoo she gains. she grows stronger... But her new powers come at a price.
This was first published as an Amazon serial, but I just read the complete book at once. I'm however, not completely sure what to think of it. The story, for the biggest part, is quite standard and the magic is confusing. While at first the magic systems seemed very interested, things are not really made clear. Not everyone can set these tattoos but how do the people who can learn this. At the end there they are very surprised to find not one but two Ink Mages, even though earlier in the book Rina meets with several of them.
Since I also have the rest of the series, I will give them a try soon and hope things will become more clear there.
Ink Mage is the first book of A Fire Beneath The Skin.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Her city was never taken, until now. The last of her line, young Rina must flee and along the way is turned into an Ink Mage. With every tattoo she gains. she grows stronger... But her new powers come at a price.
This was first published as an Amazon serial, but I just read the complete book at once. I'm however, not completely sure what to think of it. The story, for the biggest part, is quite standard and the magic is confusing. While at first the magic systems seemed very interested, things are not really made clear. Not everyone can set these tattoos but how do the people who can learn this. At the end there they are very surprised to find not one but two Ink Mages, even though earlier in the book Rina meets with several of them.
Since I also have the rest of the series, I will give them a try soon and hope things will become more clear there.
Ink Mage is the first book of A Fire Beneath The Skin.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 16, 2020
The idea of an ink mage is so cool. Literally everything else about this book is garbage.
There is misogyny dripping from every page -- the male mage is a wizened old man, the female mage is young and gorgeous and naked. A deserter from the army finds a cosy job at a brothel where the hottest prostitute falls madly in love with him. A stable boy is desired by both the brilliant and competent gypsy girl (I hate even typing that word because it's so racist, but that's literally the word used over and over) and the ink mage duchess and bangs both of them. The duchess sends her cousin off to help her get support and he sleeps with an unattractive woman to get her father's help, and not one person calls him out for being a piece of shit.
Worse than all this to me is that the author claims a PhD in English in his bio, yet manages to spell his own characters names wrong, misused solider for soldier twice in one page, and had more grammatical errors than I could count. My personal favorite was "ready to spit death in the eye" which frankly makes even less sense than the fact that I finished this book.
There is misogyny dripping from every page -- the male mage is a wizened old man, the female mage is young and gorgeous and naked. A deserter from the army finds a cosy job at a brothel where the hottest prostitute falls madly in love with him. A stable boy is desired by both the brilliant and competent gypsy girl (I hate even typing that word because it's so racist, but that's literally the word used over and over) and the ink mage duchess and bangs both of them. The duchess sends her cousin off to help her get support and he sleeps with an unattractive woman to get her father's help, and not one person calls him out for being a piece of shit.
Worse than all this to me is that the author claims a PhD in English in his bio, yet manages to spell his own characters names wrong, misused solider for soldier twice in one page, and had more grammatical errors than I could count. My personal favorite was "ready to spit death in the eye" which frankly makes even less sense than the fact that I finished this book.
June 1, 2019
I really enjoy the supporting characters in this trilogy. They aren't very strong in this first book, but their development throughout is worth the time. The world building is unique and I really love the magic system. I know some people are turned off by multiple character POV, but I really enjoy this style. I will say that there are a few POV's that felt unnecessary, but overall it was easy to follow.
Audio: Good Narrator preferred at 1.15x speed.
Audio: Good Narrator preferred at 1.15x speed.
February 13, 2016
The first chapter had me hooked. Though the middle of the book did plateau out. A very entertaining book, the story line was good, the odd curse here and there (where needed), a couple of mild sex scenes, loads of fighting and action with a bit of gore, and not to forget to mention magic! Yes, this book really did hit the spot.
Looking forward to book 2.
Looking forward to book 2.
deals
March 20, 20151 December 2014: $1.99 on Kindle
August 12, 2016
This is my kind of book...
strong female lead but...
too many sexscenes seriously...(reason for the 2 star)
strong female lead but...
too many sexscenes seriously...(reason for the 2 star)
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