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Blood, Ink & Fire
Imagine a world without books…
In the future, books are a distant memory. The written word has been replaced by an ever-present stream of images known as Verity. In the controlling dominion of the United Vales of Fell, reading is obsolete and forbidden, and readers themselves do not—cannot—exist.
But where others see images in the stream, teenager Noelle Hartley sees words. She’s obsessed with what they mean, where they came from, and why they found her.
Noelle’s been keeping her dangerous fixation with words a secret, but on the night before her seventeenth birthday, a rare interruption in the stream leads her to a mysterious volume linked to an underworld of rebel book lovers known as the Nine of the Rising. With the help of the Risers and the beguiling boy Ledger, Noelle discovers that the words within her are precious clues to the books of the earlier time—and as a child of their bookless age, she might be the world’s last hope of bringing them back.
Blood, Ink & Fire is a gripping, evocative tale that asks, who would we be without books?
In the future, books are a distant memory. The written word has been replaced by an ever-present stream of images known as Verity. In the controlling dominion of the United Vales of Fell, reading is obsolete and forbidden, and readers themselves do not—cannot—exist.
But where others see images in the stream, teenager Noelle Hartley sees words. She’s obsessed with what they mean, where they came from, and why they found her.
Noelle’s been keeping her dangerous fixation with words a secret, but on the night before her seventeenth birthday, a rare interruption in the stream leads her to a mysterious volume linked to an underworld of rebel book lovers known as the Nine of the Rising. With the help of the Risers and the beguiling boy Ledger, Noelle discovers that the words within her are precious clues to the books of the earlier time—and as a child of their bookless age, she might be the world’s last hope of bringing them back.
Blood, Ink & Fire is a gripping, evocative tale that asks, who would we be without books?
464 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2015
35 people are currently reading
3516 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Mansour
5 books113 followersAshley Mansour is an international bestselling author, a #1 Amazon bestselling author, award-winning producer, and writer originally from Los Angeles, California. She has over eight years of entertainment and digital media experience and twelve years experience as a professional writer. In 2019, she founded LA Writing Coach with a simple mission: to help writers fast-track their writing projects and create rewarding writing careers.
As a producer, her first feature film, Back Roads starring Juliette Lewis and Alex Pettyfer, premiered as an Official Selection in the Spotlight Narrative section at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and was an Official Selection of the 2018 Rhode Island International Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, and Stockholm Independent Film Festival. Back Roads won Best Feature at RIIFF and Best Drama Feature at SIFF.
Ashley has written and produced content for a multitude of screen sizes and audiences and is seasoned writer and storyteller who loves crafting thrilling narratives and captivating audiences through the written word.
As a producer, her first feature film, Back Roads starring Juliette Lewis and Alex Pettyfer, premiered as an Official Selection in the Spotlight Narrative section at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and was an Official Selection of the 2018 Rhode Island International Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, and Stockholm Independent Film Festival. Back Roads won Best Feature at RIIFF and Best Drama Feature at SIFF.
Ashley has written and produced content for a multitude of screen sizes and audiences and is seasoned writer and storyteller who loves crafting thrilling narratives and captivating audiences through the written word.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
April 28, 2015
This book had an amazing premise, and Ashley Mansour's such a sweet person, but unfortunately the book just fell flat for me. Generally, here's what I thought:
Likes:
- All the bookish quotes! This book had an amazing collection of fantastic book-related (and non-book-related) quotes that you would want to highlight.
- Lovely idea. It's obvious that a lot of thought was given to creating the storyline.
- There was a lot of taking care of family.
Dislikes:
- Fast-paced romance. It's borderline instalove, really. I may have gagged a lot.
- Inconsistent characters. One minute they're tough as a rock, and the next they're sobbing and asking for their mommies. (Not really, but you get the point.)
- Odd pacing. This book was really long, and yet I thought that a lot of the scenes were rushed.
- A sort-of love triangle that really didn't make any sense. It hurt my brain.
- Info dumps.
Full review soon.
Likes:
- All the bookish quotes! This book had an amazing collection of fantastic book-related (and non-book-related) quotes that you would want to highlight.
- Lovely idea. It's obvious that a lot of thought was given to creating the storyline.
- There was a lot of taking care of family.
Dislikes:
- Fast-paced romance. It's borderline instalove, really. I may have gagged a lot.
- Inconsistent characters. One minute they're tough as a rock, and the next they're sobbing and asking for their mommies. (Not really, but you get the point.)
- Odd pacing. This book was really long, and yet I thought that a lot of the scenes were rushed.
- A sort-of love triangle that really didn't make any sense. It hurt my brain.
- Info dumps.
Full review soon.
August 4, 2016
The most I can give this book is three stars. It had potential; potential which I didn't quite feel it reached. I feel bad because I had high hopes for this one.
I'll start by saying that I loved the concept. A future where no books exist? Terrifying! I was excited to see where this was going.
Unfortunately, what began as a flat start didn't improve very much as the book progressed.
It took a while for things to get cooking.
I feel that the book was lacking in world building. I was confused.
You have Fell, the city where brainwashed people live, under the control of Verity, an artificial intelligence. Around Fell, there are nine sovereigns. There, fairly normal people live. These people are not controlled by Fell or Verity.
The thing with Fell is that its citizens go through a process called Immersion which goes through their brain and completely erases the part that controls reading and letters and stuff. In short, nobody in Fell can read.....except Noelle, the protagonist.
What I'm confused about is that the Sovereigns aren't exactly part of Fell, but nobody can read in them.....do they go through Immersion too? Because I don't recall that being mentioned.
There are so many unanswered questions, and not the "cliffhangers-to-be-continued-in-the-next-book". It's more like, while writing up the world, plot, and characters, critical aspects were simply forgotten.
There is a lack of characterization, mainly in Noelle. She didn't strike me as anything special. She didn't stand out in any way as a protagonist. The only way I can remember her is because of her forgettableness. She is "the Reader", the one person spoken of in a prophecy that will unite the nine Volumes of the nine sovereigns which will lead them to a secret archive full of some of the last intact books in the world. She can naturally read. She's supposed to be the hero. Sometimes she explains to people how she is "the Reader". Other times, she acts so selfish and complains how she doesn't want to be the hero. I mean, that's understandable; she's only a teenager, albeit one who's lived in a zombie-esque place.
What irked me to no end was her willingness to surrender in order to save her grandfather, who was poisoned by Fell. Fell has the antidote, and to give it to Noelle, they want her to give them all nine Volumes and surrender herself to them. Her grandfather is an old man who isn't far from death's door anyways! Even if she saved him, he would die soon anyways.
Spoiler alert: He died before she could get him the antidote in time.
When she went back to get the antidote, she ran......for ten hours.....with nothing but a water bottle. That doesn't make any sense!
Also throughout the book they travel hundreds of miles between the sovereigns in an RV......that never runs out of gas?
Let's discuss the romance.
I felt that it was kind of random.
Her male friend, John, dies from one of Fell's chemitaser, when a book spirit thing (seriously I don't know what he was exactly) entered Johns body. Now we have the love interest, Ledger, who is a book-spirit-thing in John's body.
I know people complained about the instalove. But I understand why Noelle fell in love with Ledger: she's a reader....it makes sense that she fell in love with a book.
The other way around, however, was strange. I didn't get why Ledger fell in love with Noelle. Well....okay, I guess we can say the book falls in love with its reader....but it was still weird.
But here's the catch: Ledger's purpose is to deliver the history of the Nine of Rising (nine people who hid many books in the secret archives and tried to save the books when Fell took over). Every time Noelle touches his skin, she's transported back into a memory. The other catch is that when the memories are over, Ledger will fade because he's no longer needed.
Can someone tell me why the spirit of books is male?
One of the memories shows Noelle's great-aunt, the leader of the Nine of Rising, having sex with her love before they commit suicide together.
She is 17 years old. Do they not give their children the bird and the bees talk in Fell? How do they know how to reproduce??
Also she doesn't find this strange or anything? They are not in a bed. There is nothing covering them. It's just....there....in front of her.
Later, she tells Ledger that she wants that moment with him. Huzzah. Okay. Sex happens. Then, when Noelle wakes up, Ledger doesn't. He has fallen into a coma. Yay....probably because the memories were nearly over.
My favorite character was Mac because he clearly had the most personality. Unfortunately he only existed for like ten pages. The character that existed for ten pages had more characterization than any of the characters that existed throughout the whole book!
Most of the old ladies seemed like the exact same person.
After Mac comes Noelle's grandfather, I would say.
So many characters came and went, which isn't a bad thing. The bad thing is that many of them had virtually no memorable qualities. I don't remember half of them.
What I loved about this books was the writing itself. I thought it was beautiful and the figurative language was very well done. If it can be more connected to itself and the plot, it would be even better.
For a debut novel, though, Blood, Ink and Fire is not a bad start. If Ashley Mansour improves characterization, world-building, and clarifies the plot line, this could turn out to be a great series :D
The following are some quotes that I enjoyed:
By the way, "boolo" is the words "book lover" combined. It's a terms used to those who support the return of books. I loved this quote because I believe it represents all of us!
Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!
Very true!
I will also add that a lot of characters were named after Shakespeare character. I thought that was very cool!
Blood, Ink, and Fire had aspects taken from Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 and that was also very interesting.
I will be reading the next book, though I really truly hope that the things I mentioned are improved because this plot really has potential!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of BIF in exchange for an honest review!
I'll start by saying that I loved the concept. A future where no books exist? Terrifying! I was excited to see where this was going.
Unfortunately, what began as a flat start didn't improve very much as the book progressed.
It took a while for things to get cooking.
I feel that the book was lacking in world building. I was confused.
You have Fell, the city where brainwashed people live, under the control of Verity, an artificial intelligence. Around Fell, there are nine sovereigns. There, fairly normal people live. These people are not controlled by Fell or Verity.
The thing with Fell is that its citizens go through a process called Immersion which goes through their brain and completely erases the part that controls reading and letters and stuff. In short, nobody in Fell can read.....except Noelle, the protagonist.
What I'm confused about is that the Sovereigns aren't exactly part of Fell, but nobody can read in them.....do they go through Immersion too? Because I don't recall that being mentioned.
There are so many unanswered questions, and not the "cliffhangers-to-be-continued-in-the-next-book". It's more like, while writing up the world, plot, and characters, critical aspects were simply forgotten.
There is a lack of characterization, mainly in Noelle. She didn't strike me as anything special. She didn't stand out in any way as a protagonist. The only way I can remember her is because of her forgettableness. She is "the Reader", the one person spoken of in a prophecy that will unite the nine Volumes of the nine sovereigns which will lead them to a secret archive full of some of the last intact books in the world. She can naturally read. She's supposed to be the hero. Sometimes she explains to people how she is "the Reader". Other times, she acts so selfish and complains how she doesn't want to be the hero. I mean, that's understandable; she's only a teenager, albeit one who's lived in a zombie-esque place.
What irked me to no end was her willingness to surrender in order to save her grandfather, who was poisoned by Fell. Fell has the antidote, and to give it to Noelle, they want her to give them all nine Volumes and surrender herself to them. Her grandfather is an old man who isn't far from death's door anyways! Even if she saved him, he would die soon anyways.
Spoiler alert: He died before she could get him the antidote in time.
When she went back to get the antidote, she ran......for ten hours.....with nothing but a water bottle. That doesn't make any sense!
Also throughout the book they travel hundreds of miles between the sovereigns in an RV......that never runs out of gas?
Let's discuss the romance.
I felt that it was kind of random.
Her male friend, John, dies from one of Fell's chemitaser, when a book spirit thing (seriously I don't know what he was exactly) entered Johns body. Now we have the love interest, Ledger, who is a book-spirit-thing in John's body.
I know people complained about the instalove. But I understand why Noelle fell in love with Ledger: she's a reader....it makes sense that she fell in love with a book.
The other way around, however, was strange. I didn't get why Ledger fell in love with Noelle. Well....okay, I guess we can say the book falls in love with its reader....but it was still weird.
But here's the catch: Ledger's purpose is to deliver the history of the Nine of Rising (nine people who hid many books in the secret archives and tried to save the books when Fell took over). Every time Noelle touches his skin, she's transported back into a memory. The other catch is that when the memories are over, Ledger will fade because he's no longer needed.
Can someone tell me why the spirit of books is male?
One of the memories shows Noelle's great-aunt, the leader of the Nine of Rising, having sex with her love before they commit suicide together.
"Their bodies unite and move together in a strange indefinable act I've never seen and yet somehow understand."
She is 17 years old. Do they not give their children the bird and the bees talk in Fell? How do they know how to reproduce??
Also she doesn't find this strange or anything? They are not in a bed. There is nothing covering them. It's just....there....in front of her.
Later, she tells Ledger that she wants that moment with him. Huzzah. Okay. Sex happens. Then, when Noelle wakes up, Ledger doesn't. He has fallen into a coma. Yay....probably because the memories were nearly over.
My favorite character was Mac because he clearly had the most personality. Unfortunately he only existed for like ten pages. The character that existed for ten pages had more characterization than any of the characters that existed throughout the whole book!
Most of the old ladies seemed like the exact same person.
After Mac comes Noelle's grandfather, I would say.
So many characters came and went, which isn't a bad thing. The bad thing is that many of them had virtually no memorable qualities. I don't remember half of them.
What I loved about this books was the writing itself. I thought it was beautiful and the figurative language was very well done. If it can be more connected to itself and the plot, it would be even better.
For a debut novel, though, Blood, Ink and Fire is not a bad start. If Ashley Mansour improves characterization, world-building, and clarifies the plot line, this could turn out to be a great series :D
The following are some quotes that I enjoyed:
"To the boolos, books were like people. The stories inside them were real. The characters lived and breathed. Books were life. They were breath. To feel these things in the stories as keenly as if they were not just words on a page, but memories from your own life, to make you imagine things you never even dreamed of, that was the power of a book."
By the way, "boolo" is the words "book lover" combined. It's a terms used to those who support the return of books. I loved this quote because I believe it represents all of us!
"Well don't just stand there judging me! I'm an old lady. A really old lady! Bring us that tea already. My mouth is as dry as an old fart's brain.
Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!
"You cannot change someone's mind by lighting fires, burning their history, and persecuting their people. That will only push them further into extremism."
Very true!
I will also add that a lot of characters were named after Shakespeare character. I thought that was very cool!
Blood, Ink, and Fire had aspects taken from Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 and that was also very interesting.
I will be reading the next book, though I really truly hope that the things I mentioned are improved because this plot really has potential!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of BIF in exchange for an honest review!
January 8, 2016
*I received an advanced copy from the publisher (Upturn Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.
Look, ALEX PETTYFER teases the release of the book with his giant back tattoo to promote his new publishing company!
Blood, Ink and Fire is a sci-fi/dystopian novel set in the year 2056, a futuristic world where printed books are strictly off-limits and where reading is obsolete. A world devoid of books is the worst nightmare for us readers. It was set in the post-literacy era that wasn't convincing for one. This book started off strong with a stimulating premise but got progressively weaker.
It has so much potential and could have been a satisfying book only if:
1. The romance wasn't rushed.
2. The world building was convincing.
3. The pacing wasn't odd and inconsistent.
4. The characters weren't flat.
5. If the story line lived up to its promising synopsis.
7 ISSUES:
1. FLAT CHARACTERS & INCONSISTENT PACING
There were some parts that are difficult to follow through due to odd and inconsistent pacing. There were some parts that were incredibly boring, some scenes that weren't thoroughly explained while some parts were rushed.
I couldn't relate to any of the characters in here. John was blind in the story but he didn't feel like one not until some character said he was actually blind. The setting was centered around the post-literate future but it's quite hard to believe the characters especially when they tend to be so eloquent, spontaneous and sophisticated when they communicate. Hence, I find it hard connecting with them. The sensation felt like looking though a stained glass.
2. THE PROTAGONIST'S MOTIVE
I was looking for a more convincing reason that makes her want to throw away her mundane life and snuff out her sense of security in exchange for the uncertainties. I was looking for any desperate move or trigger that will prompt her into action other than her thirst for the truth. It seemed to me that her motive fell for yet another world-saving destiny trope.
3. CONVENIENCE
Jumping from one sovereign to another became too convenient for our characters. I had this anticipated feeling where I knew that sooner or later, they'll get the Volume from each sovereign, we just need to add a pinch of conflict but don't worry your pretty little head about it, it will not cause any problem for her or for anyone else because our hometown heroes will be able to accomplish it anyway.
4. THE SPECIAL SNOWFLAKES
Let me introduce you to our special human being named Noelle. Honestly, it's quite hard to like a book when you don't like the protagonist. Prevalent to many YA books, our protagonist here suprisingly became so damn special for no apparent reason. Here enters the narratives of specialness- the Lone Hero. OFF TO THE RISERS YOU GO! You suddenly became so special, regardless of risks and pitfalls, your life was always spared because you matter. I could actually sympathize with books with special snowflakes but you must give me some believable reason why she must be the one to save the world.
5. SYNTHETIC ROMANCE
This particular line apparently bugged me. Really? How could he say those words when they didn't even talk that much? Makes him feel like home? How could I buy it when half the time, Noelle was ignoring him big time?
Much to my utter frustration, all of a sudden, there's a love triangle that came out of nowhere. Can someone please explain it to me? Excuse me, where did you come from?
6. WEAK WORLD BUILDING
I wasn't a great fan of the world building. The classification between each sovereign wasn't convincing either. I saw no difference between each sovereign having its own Risers. In Veronica Roth's Divergent, I can see the taxonomy quite clearly in accordance to their presumed role but in Blood, Ink and Fire, I see no reason to separate them into sectors or territorial unit. There's also no clear social hierarchies that exist. The Risers from each sovereign were so flat and forgettable you can hardly identify one from another. I could have liked it if the author explores a more realistic view of the world devoid of books.
I think the plot focused too much on the quest to complete all the 9 Volumes and to find the 9 Risers instead of making the setting believable to the readers: This is post-literate future, people cannot read and write, personal choices are pretty non-existent, lives are being watched, and everything is pre-programmed. The book dragged the story line on filtering out humanity hence leaving the characters and the atmospheric setting half-baked.
7. THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
My major issue with this book has something to do with the characters' PERSONALITY. Language acquisition definitely plays an imperative role in personality development. What I like to see is the difference between the people of today's society from that of the characters in the book whose lives are fully controlled by a stream of information called Verity but sadly, I saw none of those distinctions. Their lives are being controlled yes but their way of thinking and seeing the world, their mindset and their view of reality are pretty much the same. I wanted to catch a glimpse on the limitation or the human capacity when it comes to knowledge and communication if one is to live in a world devoid of books and texts.
Imagine your whole life to be utterly manipulated by stream of images and to be under the controlling dominion of the United Vales of Fell, a lot of diverse reactions from people might sprout right? It could be:
- Revulsion to law and order
- Too much obedience to authority
- Exaggerated complacency
- Noticeable conformity
- Excessive concern with mental and interpersonal control
- Issues with flexibility and free will
- Flaws in communication and knowledge
- Fear of uncertainties because you're so used to order, codification and precision
But once again, I saw none of those things.
REDEEMABLE QUALITY
-Interesting and refreshing premise perfect for book lovers.
-Intriguing setting about post-literate future similar to Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
-The author is apparently good when it comes to: ATTENTION TO DETAIL
If one is to live in a post-literacy era, what makes him/her different from today's generation specifically when it comes to communication, knowledge and personality? If one cannot read and write, what would his/her life must be? Convince me that this people know nothing about reading let alone writing. You cannot just tell me, "She doesn't know how to read a book" and expect me to believe it.
Review also posted here: Hardwork Boulevard
Look, ALEX PETTYFER teases the release of the book with his giant back tattoo to promote his new publishing company!
Blood, Ink and Fire is a sci-fi/dystopian novel set in the year 2056, a futuristic world where printed books are strictly off-limits and where reading is obsolete. A world devoid of books is the worst nightmare for us readers. It was set in the post-literacy era that wasn't convincing for one. This book started off strong with a stimulating premise but got progressively weaker.
It has so much potential and could have been a satisfying book only if:
1. The romance wasn't rushed.
2. The world building was convincing.
3. The pacing wasn't odd and inconsistent.
4. The characters weren't flat.
5. If the story line lived up to its promising synopsis.
7 ISSUES:
1. FLAT CHARACTERS & INCONSISTENT PACING
There were some parts that are difficult to follow through due to odd and inconsistent pacing. There were some parts that were incredibly boring, some scenes that weren't thoroughly explained while some parts were rushed.
I couldn't relate to any of the characters in here. John was blind in the story but he didn't feel like one not until some character said he was actually blind. The setting was centered around the post-literate future but it's quite hard to believe the characters especially when they tend to be so eloquent, spontaneous and sophisticated when they communicate. Hence, I find it hard connecting with them. The sensation felt like looking though a stained glass.
2. THE PROTAGONIST'S MOTIVE
I was looking for a more convincing reason that makes her want to throw away her mundane life and snuff out her sense of security in exchange for the uncertainties. I was looking for any desperate move or trigger that will prompt her into action other than her thirst for the truth. It seemed to me that her motive fell for yet another world-saving destiny trope.
3. CONVENIENCE
Jumping from one sovereign to another became too convenient for our characters. I had this anticipated feeling where I knew that sooner or later, they'll get the Volume from each sovereign, we just need to add a pinch of conflict but don't worry your pretty little head about it, it will not cause any problem for her or for anyone else because our hometown heroes will be able to accomplish it anyway.
4. THE SPECIAL SNOWFLAKES
Let me introduce you to our special human being named Noelle. Honestly, it's quite hard to like a book when you don't like the protagonist. Prevalent to many YA books, our protagonist here suprisingly became so damn special for no apparent reason. Here enters the narratives of specialness- the Lone Hero. OFF TO THE RISERS YOU GO! You suddenly became so special, regardless of risks and pitfalls, your life was always spared because you matter. I could actually sympathize with books with special snowflakes but you must give me some believable reason why she must be the one to save the world.
5. SYNTHETIC ROMANCE
"It means I didn't plan on finding a friend that actually makes me feel like I belong here, a girl with so much inside her drawing me in, I can't help but feel like I want to be with her. Forever."
This particular line apparently bugged me. Really? How could he say those words when they didn't even talk that much? Makes him feel like home? How could I buy it when half the time, Noelle was ignoring him big time?
"Because. I think despite myself, I'm starting to like you."
Much to my utter frustration, all of a sudden, there's a love triangle that came out of nowhere. Can someone please explain it to me? Excuse me, where did you come from?
6. WEAK WORLD BUILDING
I wasn't a great fan of the world building. The classification between each sovereign wasn't convincing either. I saw no difference between each sovereign having its own Risers. In Veronica Roth's Divergent, I can see the taxonomy quite clearly in accordance to their presumed role but in Blood, Ink and Fire, I see no reason to separate them into sectors or territorial unit. There's also no clear social hierarchies that exist. The Risers from each sovereign were so flat and forgettable you can hardly identify one from another. I could have liked it if the author explores a more realistic view of the world devoid of books.
I think the plot focused too much on the quest to complete all the 9 Volumes and to find the 9 Risers instead of making the setting believable to the readers: This is post-literate future, people cannot read and write, personal choices are pretty non-existent, lives are being watched, and everything is pre-programmed. The book dragged the story line on filtering out humanity hence leaving the characters and the atmospheric setting half-baked.
7. THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
My major issue with this book has something to do with the characters' PERSONALITY. Language acquisition definitely plays an imperative role in personality development. What I like to see is the difference between the people of today's society from that of the characters in the book whose lives are fully controlled by a stream of information called Verity but sadly, I saw none of those distinctions. Their lives are being controlled yes but their way of thinking and seeing the world, their mindset and their view of reality are pretty much the same. I wanted to catch a glimpse on the limitation or the human capacity when it comes to knowledge and communication if one is to live in a world devoid of books and texts.
Imagine your whole life to be utterly manipulated by stream of images and to be under the controlling dominion of the United Vales of Fell, a lot of diverse reactions from people might sprout right? It could be:
- Revulsion to law and order
- Too much obedience to authority
- Exaggerated complacency
- Noticeable conformity
- Excessive concern with mental and interpersonal control
- Issues with flexibility and free will
- Flaws in communication and knowledge
- Fear of uncertainties because you're so used to order, codification and precision
But once again, I saw none of those things.
REDEEMABLE QUALITY
-Interesting and refreshing premise perfect for book lovers.
-Intriguing setting about post-literate future similar to Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
-The author is apparently good when it comes to: ATTENTION TO DETAIL
If one is to live in a post-literacy era, what makes him/her different from today's generation specifically when it comes to communication, knowledge and personality? If one cannot read and write, what would his/her life must be? Convince me that this people know nothing about reading let alone writing. You cannot just tell me, "She doesn't know how to read a book" and expect me to believe it.
Review also posted here: Hardwork Boulevard
January 28, 2016
This book made me shiver only by reading its summary. As someone who reads every day except for a few day-long reading slumps, I can't even imagine not being able to read. I knew I had to read this book to see what it could be like. I think the initial idea of it is insanely good (I mean, imagine a world where you can't read! It's crazy), but it lacked many important details.
While the part about not being able to read was clear, the rest of this universe was pretty vague. I couldn't get an idea of what the world looked like, how it's ruled or how life in general is. We only see a day in Noelle's normal life before she's thrown into this big adventure to take Fell down, which doesn't let us really see what it's like to live with Verity, the program that watches them and tells them what to do and when to do it. I know we learn what immersion does to the population, but I couldn't really understand how Valers agreed to do it, because it didn't seem like it was really explained to them. Also, many things are different from our society, but I can't really see the explanation behind them, because they don't seem like improvement to me. I wish I had been able to learn more about this interesting world, because it looked like a poor imitation of The Giver's to me (sorry, but I had to say it).
There were a few characters that I really liked, like John, but I feel like we should've seen more of them. I think the big problem here is the fact that it starts pretty much into the action of this story instead of showing a bit more normalcy before truly beginning. This also made it hard for me to believe that Noelle would leave her house like she does after receiving John's gift in the very beginnning, because the instructions it contained weren't really clear to me and I would never expect someone who lives in a world strict like hers to do everything she does in order to meet her friend for an unknown reason. It was very brave of her, since she risked pretty much everything when she did that, but I think there should've been more of a build-up leading to that.
I loved many parts about books and "boolos", which is the word used to refer to book lovers. It's the whole reason why I read this book, so I hoped there would be some and I was glad to discover a couple of them. Noelle's ability to read was fun to read about, especially when she first started reading, because it impacted her a lot and she loved it from the very beginning. In that way, I could see a lot of myself in her.
Many readers could find an amazing book in this, because it certainly has great ideas. It might not sound like it in this review, but I actually had a nice time reading it, so I would recommend it to people who aren't too picky about world building in dystopian novels.
(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
While the part about not being able to read was clear, the rest of this universe was pretty vague. I couldn't get an idea of what the world looked like, how it's ruled or how life in general is. We only see a day in Noelle's normal life before she's thrown into this big adventure to take Fell down, which doesn't let us really see what it's like to live with Verity, the program that watches them and tells them what to do and when to do it. I know we learn what immersion does to the population, but I couldn't really understand how Valers agreed to do it, because it didn't seem like it was really explained to them. Also, many things are different from our society, but I can't really see the explanation behind them, because they don't seem like improvement to me. I wish I had been able to learn more about this interesting world, because it looked like a poor imitation of The Giver's to me (sorry, but I had to say it).
There were a few characters that I really liked, like John, but I feel like we should've seen more of them. I think the big problem here is the fact that it starts pretty much into the action of this story instead of showing a bit more normalcy before truly beginning. This also made it hard for me to believe that Noelle would leave her house like she does after receiving John's gift in the very beginnning, because the instructions it contained weren't really clear to me and I would never expect someone who lives in a world strict like hers to do everything she does in order to meet her friend for an unknown reason. It was very brave of her, since she risked pretty much everything when she did that, but I think there should've been more of a build-up leading to that.
I loved many parts about books and "boolos", which is the word used to refer to book lovers. It's the whole reason why I read this book, so I hoped there would be some and I was glad to discover a couple of them. Noelle's ability to read was fun to read about, especially when she first started reading, because it impacted her a lot and she loved it from the very beginning. In that way, I could see a lot of myself in her.
Many readers could find an amazing book in this, because it certainly has great ideas. It might not sound like it in this review, but I actually had a nice time reading it, so I would recommend it to people who aren't too picky about world building in dystopian novels.
(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
May 1, 2017
Originally Posted On The Sassy Book Geek
***Thank You To Netgalley & Upturn Publishing For Giving Me This ARC In Exchange For An Honest Review***
So I’m just going to get this off of my chest right away: this book was pretty awful. I hated it and while I was reading it I wanted to just DNF it.
I skimmed the last 20% of the book because I was so bored, but I told myself I’d rather skim than not know how it ends at all.
Without further ado let’s begin this review.
Let’s Start With The Plot:
One of the best things about this book was the premise, a world without books. Sounds awesome right? That was honestly the only interesting part about the entire book, the setting. This is a dystopian setting where there are no longer books or any form of the written word and no reading. Period. That’s what kept me reading, but that’s the only reason I kept reading.
Right when the story begins you’re thrust into this world state without having anything explained at all. It’s really frustrating right away since all of these terms and futuristic items are forced on me and I have no idea what they are!
Then things finally start getting explained a little which is great, right? Wrong, stuff did get explained but it was just a ton of info-dumping. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of information, so it really didn’t help. I still had to figure most things out on my own, which is frustrating.
The plot also progresses at a very weird pacing, it would drag on terribly during some parts but then all of a sudden it got way too rushed! I had to look back a few pages just to see if I was reading it correctly!
For example: The main character and her “group” would take several chapters to reach a certain city/town but then when somebody in the group gets hurt they magically transport themselves all they way back to where they STARTED in just a sentence or two.
How convenient is that? That was another problem with the book that I had, how conveniently things would happen to advance the plot. Like “Oh we got thrown into a dungeon but hey the guy we needed to talk to is down here too with the item we’ve been looking for!” How convenient for you. It was completely unrealistic, if you want to convince me that the plot points happening are legit then you need to do a better job of making it believable.
And that ending! It made no sense and was confusing as hell. Seriously my brain doesn’t comprehend that ending at all. Is there going to be a sequel? Is this a stand alone and that was truly the end? Who knows? Not me apparently.
Then there’s that dreadful romance. I’m not a big fan of romances in books but if they’re done right I will like or even love them. This is a prime example of how to make me hate a book romance. One word: Insta-love. There was so much insta-love in this book it made me want to gag.
Except these are people and not dogs so it wasn’t cute, just extremely annoying. That picture sums it up perfectly too. I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes whenever a “romantic scene” came up, it made me want to hurl my Kindle across the room. There’s just no way I’m going to believe that they will die for each other after a day, no way.
Now On To The Characters:
Where do I even start with these characters? I didn’t like any of them really, at all. Every single character lacked depth and they were very flat and uninteresting. I felt like they were made out of cardboard. To me, reading their dialogue was like hearing robots talk to each other. I didn’t feel anything towards them.
Not to mention how wishy-washy they were. One minute they’re all brave and loyal and the next they’re crying and whining. They were incredibly inconsistent.
Noelle Hartley is our main character and I haven’t a single good thing to say about her. She’s not only a special snowflake but she’s also extremely selfish. She was willing to give up the things necessary to save her world (country? planet? I don’t know what it actually is because it was never explained!) to save her loved ones. That’s selfish! Yes you love your family/friends but you didn’t even think about the thousands of other people that will suffer because of your poor choices!
I also feel like every other character’s intelligence was lowered in order to make Noelle seem smarter. I will provide the best example I can think of.
This Example Will Be Two Parts:
Part 1
“Eight from the ground, six from the corner. Listen to me very carefully,” Goodfellow whispers. “After they come for me, retrieve the book from behind the cylinder block. Eight and six. Remember eight and six.”
Which then leads to this.
Part 2
“Eight and six,” Ros says. “What do you think he meant?”
“The bricks,” I say. “We need to hurry.” I count from the corner where I found the matches. “Eight up and six across.”
I thought that it was blatantly obvious that Goodfellow was referring to the bricks, but apparently not. See how Ros has to ask what he meant even though it’s so clear, just so Noelle could be “so smart” and figure it out? Yeah, that annoyed me a lot.
Then as I said she’s a special snowflake. If Noelle doesn’t save the world then apparently no one can or will. If I had to rely on this girl to save me I’d just pack it in right then and there because there’s no way that’s happening!
Then there’s Ledger. He is never explained, I STILL don’t know who or what the heck he is! He’s just there to once again be a convenient plot progressor! He’s a major character and I didn’t understand him at all, if that’s not frustrating I don’t know what is.
In Conclusion:
I really just thought this whole book was a mess, the blurb and idea of the plot was interesting enough but everything else was very disappointing. I struggled to finish this and I honestly don’t know why I even bothered to since the ending was so confusing.
Recommend?
No, not at all. I can’t see myself recommending this to anyone for any reasons. Period.
Pre-Review
This was bad. Pure and simple.
I rolled my eyes the entire time I read this book and I skimmed through the last 20%, I SHOULD have just DNF'd this right away.
There's info-dumping, wishy-washy characters with no depth, and an annoying as hell romance WITH so much insta-love it made my head hurt.
Also that ending! What the hell was that? It made absolutely no sense and it's confusing. Is there going to be a sequel or is this it? Who knows? Not me apparently.
***Thank You To Netgalley & Upturn Publishing For Giving Me This ARC In Exchange For An Honest Review***
So I’m just going to get this off of my chest right away: this book was pretty awful. I hated it and while I was reading it I wanted to just DNF it.
I skimmed the last 20% of the book because I was so bored, but I told myself I’d rather skim than not know how it ends at all.
Without further ado let’s begin this review.
Let’s Start With The Plot:
One of the best things about this book was the premise, a world without books. Sounds awesome right? That was honestly the only interesting part about the entire book, the setting. This is a dystopian setting where there are no longer books or any form of the written word and no reading. Period. That’s what kept me reading, but that’s the only reason I kept reading.
Right when the story begins you’re thrust into this world state without having anything explained at all. It’s really frustrating right away since all of these terms and futuristic items are forced on me and I have no idea what they are!
Then things finally start getting explained a little which is great, right? Wrong, stuff did get explained but it was just a ton of info-dumping. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of information, so it really didn’t help. I still had to figure most things out on my own, which is frustrating.
The plot also progresses at a very weird pacing, it would drag on terribly during some parts but then all of a sudden it got way too rushed! I had to look back a few pages just to see if I was reading it correctly!
For example: The main character and her “group” would take several chapters to reach a certain city/town but then when somebody in the group gets hurt they magically transport themselves all they way back to where they STARTED in just a sentence or two.
How convenient is that? That was another problem with the book that I had, how conveniently things would happen to advance the plot. Like “Oh we got thrown into a dungeon but hey the guy we needed to talk to is down here too with the item we’ve been looking for!” How convenient for you. It was completely unrealistic, if you want to convince me that the plot points happening are legit then you need to do a better job of making it believable.
And that ending! It made no sense and was confusing as hell. Seriously my brain doesn’t comprehend that ending at all. Is there going to be a sequel? Is this a stand alone and that was truly the end? Who knows? Not me apparently.
Then there’s that dreadful romance. I’m not a big fan of romances in books but if they’re done right I will like or even love them. This is a prime example of how to make me hate a book romance. One word: Insta-love. There was so much insta-love in this book it made me want to gag.
Except these are people and not dogs so it wasn’t cute, just extremely annoying. That picture sums it up perfectly too. I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes whenever a “romantic scene” came up, it made me want to hurl my Kindle across the room. There’s just no way I’m going to believe that they will die for each other after a day, no way.
Now On To The Characters:
Where do I even start with these characters? I didn’t like any of them really, at all. Every single character lacked depth and they were very flat and uninteresting. I felt like they were made out of cardboard. To me, reading their dialogue was like hearing robots talk to each other. I didn’t feel anything towards them.
Not to mention how wishy-washy they were. One minute they’re all brave and loyal and the next they’re crying and whining. They were incredibly inconsistent.
Noelle Hartley is our main character and I haven’t a single good thing to say about her. She’s not only a special snowflake but she’s also extremely selfish. She was willing to give up the things necessary to save her world (country? planet? I don’t know what it actually is because it was never explained!) to save her loved ones. That’s selfish! Yes you love your family/friends but you didn’t even think about the thousands of other people that will suffer because of your poor choices!
I also feel like every other character’s intelligence was lowered in order to make Noelle seem smarter. I will provide the best example I can think of.
This Example Will Be Two Parts:
Part 1
“Eight from the ground, six from the corner. Listen to me very carefully,” Goodfellow whispers. “After they come for me, retrieve the book from behind the cylinder block. Eight and six. Remember eight and six.”
Which then leads to this.
Part 2
“Eight and six,” Ros says. “What do you think he meant?”
“The bricks,” I say. “We need to hurry.” I count from the corner where I found the matches. “Eight up and six across.”
I thought that it was blatantly obvious that Goodfellow was referring to the bricks, but apparently not. See how Ros has to ask what he meant even though it’s so clear, just so Noelle could be “so smart” and figure it out? Yeah, that annoyed me a lot.
Then as I said she’s a special snowflake. If Noelle doesn’t save the world then apparently no one can or will. If I had to rely on this girl to save me I’d just pack it in right then and there because there’s no way that’s happening!
Then there’s Ledger. He is never explained, I STILL don’t know who or what the heck he is! He’s just there to once again be a convenient plot progressor! He’s a major character and I didn’t understand him at all, if that’s not frustrating I don’t know what is.
In Conclusion:
I really just thought this whole book was a mess, the blurb and idea of the plot was interesting enough but everything else was very disappointing. I struggled to finish this and I honestly don’t know why I even bothered to since the ending was so confusing.
Recommend?
No, not at all. I can’t see myself recommending this to anyone for any reasons. Period.
Pre-Review
This was bad. Pure and simple.
I rolled my eyes the entire time I read this book and I skimmed through the last 20%, I SHOULD have just DNF'd this right away.
There's info-dumping, wishy-washy characters with no depth, and an annoying as hell romance WITH so much insta-love it made my head hurt.
Also that ending! What the hell was that? It made absolutely no sense and it's confusing. Is there going to be a sequel or is this it? Who knows? Not me apparently.
February 18, 2017
You can read my full review on my blog here: https://bookishfanboy.wordpress.com/2...
I received an e-arc copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was lucky enough to be one of "The Hundred", the first one hundred readers to be able to read and had an e-arc of Blood,Ink & Fire by Ashley Mansour.
A world without books. Blood, Ink & Fire is set in the futuristic world where books and reading are forbidden - a nightmare for all the bibliophiles out there. The story itself was great, it had a very interesting premise. It was fast-paced and intriguing. It will make you curious about what to happen next and you cannot stop reading it.
The characters was good especially Noelle and John/Ledger but the story needs more John though. I love the character development of Noelle Hartley, she became stronger in her journey to the other sovereigns and did I mention she's a bad-ass?? This was a very emotional yet an inspirational read. It'll break your heart into pieces but in a good way. It was very inspirational because this book made me realized how lucky we are as a reader today, that we still have books to read and books to learn from. It made me realized that books are very powerful and the people who read them.
This book has now gained a very special place in my heart. I would like to thank Ashley for writing such an amazing story. Her debut novel, Blood, Ink & Fire was a success! There's so many great quotes (bookish and non bookish) that you can find while reading this, and it's mesmerizing.
My Favorite Quotes from Blood, Ink & Fire:
"Love? How can you love someone and deny what they are? What is love if you take away everything they love? What does it even mean to live a good life?"
"Miriam, why did they take this from us?" Why did they stop us reading the books?" She leans in close and sends a whisper to my ear. "Because readers and books hold a dangerous power." Her eyes light up as she says it. "The power to imagine."
"Just remember, they can never erase what you are. They cannot take what you refuse to give"
"Sometimes the impossible is possible."
"Once a reader, always a reader. I simply could not deny what I was. The impulse to read was always there, even if the words and the books were not."
"To the book lovers, books were like people. The stories inside them were real. The characters lived and breathed. Books were life. They were breath. To feel these things in the stories as keenly as if they were not just words on a page, but memories from your own life, to make you imagine things you never even dreamed of, that was the power of a book. A power we must regain."
"There's always a choice."
"They think just loving books is enough. But what good is feeling love if you don't show it?"
"Perhaps she hoped that even in times of war, you'd still have something to hold on to."
"We are uncontrollable because we create. With words. With stories. We imagine an alternative, and we are fully capable of bringing that alternative to life and living it as a new reality. We are the ones who see through their illusions and, at the same time, see the truth of what they really are: meaningless. We are dreamers who dream outside of sleep. And we do it impossibly, dangerously well. We are readers"
"Without the reader, none of this matters, my dear. Because what good are the volumes without someone to guide us through their pages? What good are the words if no one can read them? The books need the reader as much as the reader needs the books. One just isn't complete without the other."
"That's just being human. We know what we want and why we cannot have it, yet it does not stop the wanting. We yearn for the impossible. The illogical. The paradox. And we do it with a kind of complex, tragic beauty unique to only us. This beauty, I realize, is what we are protecting. This is the thing that can only be told in the stories we make. The words we write. The books that are made of our flesh and our blood and ourselves. These tomes of our twisted, paradoxical human fantasies are worth fighting for, worth dying for."
"Humans and books are destined to burn and die side by side. People, the stories they love, the pages that contain them, we are companions throughout all of time."
"I believe we can choose our own destiny and that is great sphere is just one earthly stage for us to carve out our roles and play them."
"Home isn't a place. It isn't somewhere you can go or be found. Home is people. Home is that feeling you get when it doesn't matter where you are, as long as someone you love is with you. That's home."
I received an e-arc copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was lucky enough to be one of "The Hundred", the first one hundred readers to be able to read and had an e-arc of Blood,Ink & Fire by Ashley Mansour.
A world without books. Blood, Ink & Fire is set in the futuristic world where books and reading are forbidden - a nightmare for all the bibliophiles out there. The story itself was great, it had a very interesting premise. It was fast-paced and intriguing. It will make you curious about what to happen next and you cannot stop reading it.
The characters was good especially Noelle and John/Ledger but the story needs more John though. I love the character development of Noelle Hartley, she became stronger in her journey to the other sovereigns and did I mention she's a bad-ass?? This was a very emotional yet an inspirational read. It'll break your heart into pieces but in a good way. It was very inspirational because this book made me realized how lucky we are as a reader today, that we still have books to read and books to learn from. It made me realized that books are very powerful and the people who read them.
This book has now gained a very special place in my heart. I would like to thank Ashley for writing such an amazing story. Her debut novel, Blood, Ink & Fire was a success! There's so many great quotes (bookish and non bookish) that you can find while reading this, and it's mesmerizing.
My Favorite Quotes from Blood, Ink & Fire:
"Love? How can you love someone and deny what they are? What is love if you take away everything they love? What does it even mean to live a good life?"
"Miriam, why did they take this from us?" Why did they stop us reading the books?" She leans in close and sends a whisper to my ear. "Because readers and books hold a dangerous power." Her eyes light up as she says it. "The power to imagine."
"Just remember, they can never erase what you are. They cannot take what you refuse to give"
"Sometimes the impossible is possible."
"Once a reader, always a reader. I simply could not deny what I was. The impulse to read was always there, even if the words and the books were not."
"To the book lovers, books were like people. The stories inside them were real. The characters lived and breathed. Books were life. They were breath. To feel these things in the stories as keenly as if they were not just words on a page, but memories from your own life, to make you imagine things you never even dreamed of, that was the power of a book. A power we must regain."
"There's always a choice."
"They think just loving books is enough. But what good is feeling love if you don't show it?"
"Perhaps she hoped that even in times of war, you'd still have something to hold on to."
"We are uncontrollable because we create. With words. With stories. We imagine an alternative, and we are fully capable of bringing that alternative to life and living it as a new reality. We are the ones who see through their illusions and, at the same time, see the truth of what they really are: meaningless. We are dreamers who dream outside of sleep. And we do it impossibly, dangerously well. We are readers"
"Without the reader, none of this matters, my dear. Because what good are the volumes without someone to guide us through their pages? What good are the words if no one can read them? The books need the reader as much as the reader needs the books. One just isn't complete without the other."
"That's just being human. We know what we want and why we cannot have it, yet it does not stop the wanting. We yearn for the impossible. The illogical. The paradox. And we do it with a kind of complex, tragic beauty unique to only us. This beauty, I realize, is what we are protecting. This is the thing that can only be told in the stories we make. The words we write. The books that are made of our flesh and our blood and ourselves. These tomes of our twisted, paradoxical human fantasies are worth fighting for, worth dying for."
"Humans and books are destined to burn and die side by side. People, the stories they love, the pages that contain them, we are companions throughout all of time."
"I believe we can choose our own destiny and that is great sphere is just one earthly stage for us to carve out our roles and play them."
"Home isn't a place. It isn't somewhere you can go or be found. Home is people. Home is that feeling you get when it doesn't matter where you are, as long as someone you love is with you. That's home."
August 11, 2015
I like the premise of #BloodInkAndFire very, very much! What if we were fed with things without knowing what it all meant? What if we no longer have books to learn from? What if the world is made of absurdity? What will happen? What will fall apart?
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK once it's available on your bookstores! It's like reading Fahrenheit 451 all over again - and that is a good thing! Promise! ☺️
One honest note though, the romance was so fast-paced that I didn't enjoy it as much as I would love to. It felt like it was rushed. But I do like Noelle's angst!
December 31, 2015
An astounding debut that every reader should read.
A full review to come soon.
A full review to come soon.
May 23, 2015
well dang... I dont know what to say... review to come..
August 30, 2022
Full review on my blog, P A P ∃ R & T R E E S!
*A copy of this book was provided by Upturn Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
Blood Ink & Fire is set in 2056 where books, or any form of the written word, and reading are considered forbidden. The United Vales of Fell wants complete control over its people and therefore alters their [the people's] brains to keep them from reading and writing. Valers also have to go through "immersion" on the day of their 17th birthday.
Noelle Hartley, unlike anyone else, was born with the gift of words. She escaped Vale and, with a mission to complete all nine remaining books to defeat Fell, into the Nine Sovereigns she went.
The best thing about this novel was the premise. Imagine a world without books… can you? Of course you can’t! So Ashley Mansour made this possible for you. . . kinda. Eek.
First one, I didn’t appreciate the world-building. Don't get me wrong—Mansour writes so beautifully and in a very detailed manner, but that's also the problem; there's a ton of info-dumping. I was forced into a world I don't know about and with no proper introduction. I had to figure most things out on my own. It was confusing as it was frustrating because I had to go a few pages back several times to comprehend what I just read.
I also find the first-person narrative weird.
Quoting Goodreads user Accio Reviews:
"Considering that most of the characters in this world have not had access to books their whole lives, I would assume their communication skills are not as developed as ours are today and that it would be evident in the narration. Reading this story with a writing style that is elaborate and resorts to unusual phrasing choices that a person in that environment would most likely not use became difficult, since it made it harder to connect. You can’t feel like you are inside the story because the writing does not make it believable."
I couldn’t have said it any better.
The characters were inconsistent and unconvincing. One time they're strong and brave and the next they're whiny and irrational and... sigh. I just didn't like any of them, especially Noelle. And we all know what it's like to read a book you hate the protagonist of. Noelle is such a bad character. She's literally the most selfish protagonist I've ever encountered.
I get that she’s already lost everyone in her life, but seriously????? I honestly thought that part was a strategy to buy her more time but freaking no, she doesn’t have any other plans. And she’s expected to save the world? Like??? I mean??? Nope. Not gonna happen.
Also, the pacing was weird. Mansour seemed to have too many ideas playing in her mind and put them all in one book, hence turning it into something that felt rushed, as if the book wasn't long enough! I thought it would have been better if there were only 3 or 5 sovereigns to go through for a better introduction to each one of them. The Risers (the "rebels") were not as remarkable as I believe they should be because of the same problem. The plot would also drag on terribly during some parts, yet some of the most interesting, intense scenes are incredibly rushed.
The insta-love was was difficult to read. They were like cardboard cutouts who were forced into kissing each other’s noses. They have no chemistry at all and it did not help that the characters were unlikable, for me at least. And the love triangle! It literally came out of nowhere. I had to pause and say to myself, what the hell just happened?
While writing this review, I was reading through my notes and saw that I wrote “how convenient is this plot” and I remember it’s also one of the problems I had with this book—how convenient things would go to advance the plot.
There was this character that came along with the pack because she believes it's her "purpose to help" but abandons them after a few pages because she believes it's where she "belongs." The author just simply kicked her out of the story since her arc was done. Nice.
There are more convenient things that happened to advance the plot but I won’t elaborate on them.
The ending was also very confusing. Would anyone be willing to help me understand? It made no sense to me.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This book has soooo much potential. There are also really nice quotes about books and readers that I loved and bookmarked. I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would, though. This book was just not for me, although I’m looking forward to more of Mansour’s works. She’s an incredible author to watch out for!
December 11, 2015
Istyria book blog ~ A World of Enchanted Books
I initially started this book with much excitement because I'd been anticipating it for a while and what with me being a part of The Hundred, I got teased for this one quite a bit. So my expectations were pretty high but in the end... It's okay, I guess?
Blood, Ink & Fire revolves around Noelle Hartley. She lives in the United Vales of Fell, a world were books have been eliminated and reading has been replaced with the ever-present stream of information named Verity. But where others see images, Noelle sees words. Lots of them and she becomes obsessed with what they mean and where they came from. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, everything changes and Noelle is sucked into a whole new worlds she never knew existed.
When I first started this book, I read about 30% and then I stopped. I didn't even feel the urge to pick it back up immediately so in the end I did force myself to finish it. Which is why I may not have enjoyed it as much as I would have if I'd waited until I was in the mood for it. But this book isn't bad, not really. I loved the bookish quotes spread throughout the book and I love the whole concept the author created. It's obvious she spend a lot of time working it out and I always appreciate that. I also liked the feel of family in this book. But despite that, I had a few issues with it.
First off, I didn't like the romance. It was way too fast and way too close to insta-love. Plus it's also a love-triangle sort of thing. I didn't really get it so it's hard to feel anything that way. The characters were a hit or a miss most of the time. One moment I liked them, the other moment they annoyed me to no end. The book is also a bit long, but I still felt like things were rushed at places. There were a lot of info dumps that overwhelmed me. It felt like one moment I was fine and the next I'm drowning in all the new info I'm getting. That's also why it took me so long to finally finish it. And lastly... While the idea is pretty original and new, it's also a bit cheesy at times. That can be both positive and negative though.
I seem to be one of the very few that did not just utterly fell in love with this book and I hate to be the black sheep, but I still urge you to try this out. The cover is gorgeous, the author is such a sweetheart and despite it's flaws, this book is still enjoyable even for me. I will read the sequels just because I want to know what happens next. There is a sequel, right?
I initially started this book with much excitement because I'd been anticipating it for a while and what with me being a part of The Hundred, I got teased for this one quite a bit. So my expectations were pretty high but in the end... It's okay, I guess?
Blood, Ink & Fire revolves around Noelle Hartley. She lives in the United Vales of Fell, a world were books have been eliminated and reading has been replaced with the ever-present stream of information named Verity. But where others see images, Noelle sees words. Lots of them and she becomes obsessed with what they mean and where they came from. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, everything changes and Noelle is sucked into a whole new worlds she never knew existed.
When I first started this book, I read about 30% and then I stopped. I didn't even feel the urge to pick it back up immediately so in the end I did force myself to finish it. Which is why I may not have enjoyed it as much as I would have if I'd waited until I was in the mood for it. But this book isn't bad, not really. I loved the bookish quotes spread throughout the book and I love the whole concept the author created. It's obvious she spend a lot of time working it out and I always appreciate that. I also liked the feel of family in this book. But despite that, I had a few issues with it.
First off, I didn't like the romance. It was way too fast and way too close to insta-love. Plus it's also a love-triangle sort of thing. I didn't really get it so it's hard to feel anything that way. The characters were a hit or a miss most of the time. One moment I liked them, the other moment they annoyed me to no end. The book is also a bit long, but I still felt like things were rushed at places. There were a lot of info dumps that overwhelmed me. It felt like one moment I was fine and the next I'm drowning in all the new info I'm getting. That's also why it took me so long to finally finish it. And lastly... While the idea is pretty original and new, it's also a bit cheesy at times. That can be both positive and negative though.
I seem to be one of the very few that did not just utterly fell in love with this book and I hate to be the black sheep, but I still urge you to try this out. The cover is gorgeous, the author is such a sweetheart and despite it's flaws, this book is still enjoyable even for me. I will read the sequels just because I want to know what happens next. There is a sequel, right?
July 17, 2016
I think this book had fabulous potential. The idea of it all was epic - in the future, books and reading are forbidden. How scary is that? I think Ashley Mansour was really onto something great here, because it speaks to the heart of every single one of us readers. A world without books is the worst kind of world we could possibly imagine! The concept really was brilliant. But there were a lot of issues I had with it that kept me from enjoying it as much as I'd hoped.
I wasn't really sold on the romance between Noelle and Ledger. Not to mention the almost love triangle was completely unnecessary. It didn't add anything to the plot and was just plain annoying in my opinion.
I didn't particularly care about any of the characters. I did kind of like Ledger, though. He was the only one that stood out for me. I couldn't connect to Noelle, I'm afraid. I also had little to no feeling at all throughout the book. My emotions were just blank, and I didn't connect to the story or the characters much at all.
The pacing was VERY slow. I was bored for most of the book, and there were times that I was actually struggling. The prose was a bit erratic - it was rather dry; at times it was dull but then it also had some really beautiful flowing moments. I think Ashley Mansour has great potential as a writer, though!
The world building was confusing at times, so I had trouble grasping most of it. I couldn't really picture the bioslice, and I never really grasped the terms Slack (obviously a negative thing), or Vale (this is where they lived, and I don't think it was like the true meaning of that word, since there were different ones that were numbered - but I would have liked a better explanation of that society because I never really got a feel for how they lived). There were a few places that were a straight info dump, and I was left struggling to keep up with it. It made my brain hurt. Also, they called book lovers "Boolos." Um...
Despite the fabulous concept and unique world, this book fell flat for me and I don't think it's one that will stick with me. I do want to give Ashley's future work a try, because I can definitely see the potential this book had and the potential she has as a writer.
Favorite quotes
"Just remember, they can never erase what you are. They cannot take what you refuse to give."
My ocean is deep and getting deeper every day. Whatever is lurking beneath me in that dark sea, I'm sure I can feel it rising.
We are dreamers who dream outside of sleep. And we do it impossibly, dangerously well. We are readers.
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
December 1, 2015
For one, a world a without books is my worst goddamn nightmare. Why would it be important to eradicate books and forbid reading? So your citizens don't ask questions and don't use their imaginations, that's why. If they don't question things and can't imagine things, they're much easier to keep in line and rule.
For starters, the worldbuilding was great. There was a lot of thought, detail and planning that went into it---it was obvious. So obvious, though, that it turned into a constant stream of infodumping. I found myself reading and rereading just to make sure I understood, which became frustrating and overwhelming.
I really love the concept of this story---I most of all loved all of the bookish quotes in the beginning. It was also interesting to see someone discover books for the first time, which reminded me why I love books so much. Books are power, books are imagination, books create different worlds and encourage readers to think and ask questions and criticize.
The pacing of the story was confusing to me---the book itself is long (464 pages) yet some of the most interesting, intense scenes are incredibly rushed. The boring scenes take forever.
The character building was alright. I kind of felt that I got to know Noelle, but her character felt very inconsistent and I never really connected with her. Sometimes she was badass and smart and sometimes she was dumb about really stupid things. I think that the characters definitely could have been developed more.
And don't even get me started on the love triangle.
This debut wasn't bad---but I do think it failed to deliver. The premise of the story is fantastic and had a lot of potential, but I thought it fell a little flat. I rated it a 3/5.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For starters, the worldbuilding was great. There was a lot of thought, detail and planning that went into it---it was obvious. So obvious, though, that it turned into a constant stream of infodumping. I found myself reading and rereading just to make sure I understood, which became frustrating and overwhelming.
I really love the concept of this story---I most of all loved all of the bookish quotes in the beginning. It was also interesting to see someone discover books for the first time, which reminded me why I love books so much. Books are power, books are imagination, books create different worlds and encourage readers to think and ask questions and criticize.
The pacing of the story was confusing to me---the book itself is long (464 pages) yet some of the most interesting, intense scenes are incredibly rushed. The boring scenes take forever.
The character building was alright. I kind of felt that I got to know Noelle, but her character felt very inconsistent and I never really connected with her. Sometimes she was badass and smart and sometimes she was dumb about really stupid things. I think that the characters definitely could have been developed more.
And don't even get me started on the love triangle.
This debut wasn't bad---but I do think it failed to deliver. The premise of the story is fantastic and had a lot of potential, but I thought it fell a little flat. I rated it a 3/5.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2015
I received a copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book sounded great. And the first few chapters really grabbed my attention and I was sure that I was going to like it. And then John died and Ledger arrived. The whole concept of Ledger was just too bizarre for me. Ledger is supposed to be the soul of all the books ever written. He knows humans based on what humans write about. I just couldn't get into that. And Noelle, the main character, didn't ever seem to decide who she was and what she wanted. The thing that interested me most was Fell and Verity and the back story on how they came to be. I think that this story was basically just a joining of Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver. I didn't like the book, but I also didn't not like it... It was just ok.
The premise of this book sounded great. And the first few chapters really grabbed my attention and I was sure that I was going to like it. And then John died and Ledger arrived. The whole concept of Ledger was just too bizarre for me. Ledger is supposed to be the soul of all the books ever written. He knows humans based on what humans write about. I just couldn't get into that. And Noelle, the main character, didn't ever seem to decide who she was and what she wanted. The thing that interested me most was Fell and Verity and the back story on how they came to be. I think that this story was basically just a joining of Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver. I didn't like the book, but I also didn't not like it... It was just ok.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 11, 2015I tried, I really tried. But I've spent four days on it and only got through a quarter, just can't get into it, such an interesting concept though!
February 26, 2016
3.5 Stars
I LOVED the aspect of Ledger - it was far fetched enough as a science fiction feel that made up for the 'born able to read' theme (see below for my explanation). I'm interested in seeing what happens with Ledger in book two. Certain parts were believable - people actually died rather than everyone surviving with the way the dystopian world is depicted.
Ashley has a great writing style and I'm curious to see what she does next.
I liked the premise of the story overall. It's definitely an interesting concept, but there was a part that I got hung up on with regards to the whole concept of readers, being 'born' with the ability to read. I'm a psych major, which means I studied animal and human behavior (and worked with children with special needs)...so, the challenge is that 'reading' is an abstract concept to the human brain. We think in pictures, not words, which is why children learn faster by seeing and replicating things that are paired with items and takes them several years to learn how to read.
When someone tells you to think about a purple penguin, you visualize the purple penguin and not the words 'purple penguin.' Letters and numbers were constructed by humans over time as a different means to share information other than word of mouth or pictures drawn on caves and cuneiforms. Therefore, to believe that Noelle, someone who never learned the representation of each letter or number and can suddenly read the words (sounding them out like it's nothing) makes it challenging for me to believe - especially when the main character mentions different languages that people can be programmed to be able to speak.
Like I said, the concept of the story is very interesting - a world where books are being destroyed all for the sake of what -fear? - control? I plan on reading the next book, because my curiosity is peaked as to where Ashley will take the story.
I LOVED the aspect of Ledger - it was far fetched enough as a science fiction feel that made up for the 'born able to read' theme (see below for my explanation). I'm interested in seeing what happens with Ledger in book two. Certain parts were believable - people actually died rather than everyone surviving with the way the dystopian world is depicted.
Ashley has a great writing style and I'm curious to see what she does next.
I liked the premise of the story overall. It's definitely an interesting concept, but there was a part that I got hung up on with regards to the whole concept of readers, being 'born' with the ability to read. I'm a psych major, which means I studied animal and human behavior (and worked with children with special needs)...so, the challenge is that 'reading' is an abstract concept to the human brain. We think in pictures, not words, which is why children learn faster by seeing and replicating things that are paired with items and takes them several years to learn how to read.
When someone tells you to think about a purple penguin, you visualize the purple penguin and not the words 'purple penguin.' Letters and numbers were constructed by humans over time as a different means to share information other than word of mouth or pictures drawn on caves and cuneiforms. Therefore, to believe that Noelle, someone who never learned the representation of each letter or number and can suddenly read the words (sounding them out like it's nothing) makes it challenging for me to believe - especially when the main character mentions different languages that people can be programmed to be able to speak.
Like I said, the concept of the story is very interesting - a world where books are being destroyed all for the sake of what -fear? - control? I plan on reading the next book, because my curiosity is peaked as to where Ashley will take the story.
December 4, 2015
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Noelle Hartley is almost 17. On her seventeenth birthday, she, like all people in The United Vales of Fell, is scheduled for immersion. Fell wants complete control, so they immerse people to take away any thoughts or memories that they deem dangerous to them. Words and reading are among the things forbidden. Noelle was born with the gift of words and she is willing to fight to save that. As an avid reader, I cannot imagine a world without books, or kindles, or anything book related. The problem I have with this book is that Noelle wasn't completely committed to the cause, she went back and forth about turning herself in, and if she did succeed, what would she really change? She wasn't a very likable character for me. It seemed like a really long book without much substance.
March 27, 2017
Thanks to Netgalley and Upturn Publishing for giving me this book to review.
Blood, Ink & Fire is a dystopia novel with a really interesting concept. However, I really struggled with this book for three main reasons; it lacks world building, it pacing as really slow, and uninteresting characters.
Noelle feels like she is different and that she does not fit in anywhere apart from with her best friend John, however, I didn’t care about her or what was happening to her. All of the other characters lacked depth and was not described well, for example I did not realise that John was blind until quite a while after meeting him.
Really interesting story idea but I felt it failed to deliver and I DNF at 25%.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Blood, Ink & Fire is a dystopia novel with a really interesting concept. However, I really struggled with this book for three main reasons; it lacks world building, it pacing as really slow, and uninteresting characters.
Noelle feels like she is different and that she does not fit in anywhere apart from with her best friend John, however, I didn’t care about her or what was happening to her. All of the other characters lacked depth and was not described well, for example I did not realise that John was blind until quite a while after meeting him.
Really interesting story idea but I felt it failed to deliver and I DNF at 25%.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
November 8, 2015
This book was written by a reader for, you guessed it, readers.
When I read about the concept of the book, I was intrigued, And I was lucky to join the 100 (first readers).
There was a bit of information dumps that made the book a little draggy, and the characters lacked development. There was a love triangle, which I'm not a fan of in general.
"Blood, Ink & Fire" had a lot of potential, and the plot was very good.
*This arc was kindly provided by Upturn Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
When I read about the concept of the book, I was intrigued, And I was lucky to join the 100 (first readers).
There was a bit of information dumps that made the book a little draggy, and the characters lacked development. There was a love triangle, which I'm not a fan of in general.
"Blood, Ink & Fire" had a lot of potential, and the plot was very good.
*This arc was kindly provided by Upturn Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Want to read
February 20, 201633% DNF for now. [INK]
I thought I was halfway thru it already (so fail for me and my reader)
I loved the world-building. I loved Noelle's character so far. I don't really understand what Ledger is.
As I've said before, it really is like a mixed-up of The Giver and Divergent so there...
Will wait for the sequel. Probably.
I thought I was halfway thru it already (so fail for me and my reader)
I loved the world-building. I loved Noelle's character so far. I don't really understand what Ledger is.
As I've said before, it really is like a mixed-up of The Giver and Divergent so there...
Will wait for the sequel. Probably.
Want to read
September 23, 2016 Alex Pettyfer said we have to read this ! I guess we have to!
July 2, 2016
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2016/0...
I understand many people loved this book so I will try to keep my review as objective as possible.
Blood, Ink & Fire starts out as your average dystopia: a society where individuals are deprived of freedom and has this incredible AI whose purpose is more than meets the eye. Quickly you get the feeling that this is an ode to Fahrenheit and Shakespear and book loving in general.
However, as a work of fiction, to me, it failed to deliver. Suspension of disbelief is taken to an extreme, dialogues and monologues are cringe-worthy and the narrative just doesn't flow, being obvious at time and not delivering resolution at others.
For example, we don't even know why people are 'immersed' on their 17th birthday. Why 17? Because it is convenient that our main character is that old when all the juicy stuff starts happening?
And the bad guys. They are supposed to be almighty and have full control and all imaginable resources to be anywhere, anytime they want and yet they only show up at convenient times?
Even the names are ridiculous. Why Fell? Other than it is one letter apart from Hell? Obvious much?
And Boolos as short for book lovers? Really?
Forgetsum?
Need I go on?
There is a lot of info dumping and yet no actual world setting. When do these people eat? How do their supplies last forever? How does the gas on the RV last forever, for that matter? How can Noelle drive? How can she run for ages, did she get any exercise in her previous life that would justify it? And it goes on and on.
Also, once again, romance completely overpowers the story from a point on. And it doesn't even make sense. This Ledger guy sounds much too human from the getgo, for someone or something who is not supposed to be one of us. I didn't even get what he was supposed to be.
There's a lot of feels and yet I go through the book completely unable to connect to any of the characters, least of all the main one, who everyone seems to love, Lord knows why.
The book had potential. I thought the relationship between Noelle and John was cute, different, and not just because he was blind or they didn't make romantic moves. Although the fact that they called each other by their initials never made any sense to me but I guess it was supposed to make their relationship more special. Then it just went downhill for me. Things started happening for the sake of happening and I was, quite honestly, bored.
There were, as I said, things left unexplained and others that made no sense like
There were several interesting concepts, especially the importance of books and the dangers of this new age where people no longer seem to resort to them to obtain information or pleasure - supported by quotes of books at the beginning of the novel whose authors have studied this phenomenon and sadly I have to say that was about my favourite part, the inspiration. The development of the premise just left me disappointed beyond words.
Disappointing does not even begin to describe the ridiculous ending. Is it supposed to be surprising or shocking? It's not. It's just ridiculous.
If you are going to introduce a different concept you need to make it work, not just be lazy in the end.
So even though most of this book waived between a 2 and a 3, by the end it just went down to 1. What a total waste of time.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I understand many people loved this book so I will try to keep my review as objective as possible.
Blood, Ink & Fire starts out as your average dystopia: a society where individuals are deprived of freedom and has this incredible AI whose purpose is more than meets the eye. Quickly you get the feeling that this is an ode to Fahrenheit and Shakespear and book loving in general.
However, as a work of fiction, to me, it failed to deliver. Suspension of disbelief is taken to an extreme, dialogues and monologues are cringe-worthy and the narrative just doesn't flow, being obvious at time and not delivering resolution at others.
For example, we don't even know why people are 'immersed' on their 17th birthday. Why 17? Because it is convenient that our main character is that old when all the juicy stuff starts happening?
And the bad guys. They are supposed to be almighty and have full control and all imaginable resources to be anywhere, anytime they want and yet they only show up at convenient times?
Even the names are ridiculous. Why Fell? Other than it is one letter apart from Hell? Obvious much?
And Boolos as short for book lovers? Really?
Forgetsum?
Need I go on?
There is a lot of info dumping and yet no actual world setting. When do these people eat? How do their supplies last forever? How does the gas on the RV last forever, for that matter? How can Noelle drive? How can she run for ages, did she get any exercise in her previous life that would justify it? And it goes on and on.
Also, once again, romance completely overpowers the story from a point on. And it doesn't even make sense. This Ledger guy sounds much too human from the getgo, for someone or something who is not supposed to be one of us. I didn't even get what he was supposed to be.
There's a lot of feels and yet I go through the book completely unable to connect to any of the characters, least of all the main one, who everyone seems to love, Lord knows why.
The book had potential. I thought the relationship between Noelle and John was cute, different, and not just because he was blind or they didn't make romantic moves. Although the fact that they called each other by their initials never made any sense to me but I guess it was supposed to make their relationship more special. Then it just went downhill for me. Things started happening for the sake of happening and I was, quite honestly, bored.
There were, as I said, things left unexplained and others that made no sense like
There were several interesting concepts, especially the importance of books and the dangers of this new age where people no longer seem to resort to them to obtain information or pleasure - supported by quotes of books at the beginning of the novel whose authors have studied this phenomenon and sadly I have to say that was about my favourite part, the inspiration. The development of the premise just left me disappointed beyond words.
Disappointing does not even begin to describe the ridiculous ending. Is it supposed to be surprising or shocking? It's not. It's just ridiculous.
If you are going to introduce a different concept you need to make it work, not just be lazy in the end.
So even though most of this book waived between a 2 and a 3, by the end it just went down to 1. What a total waste of time.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 7, 2016
**I received a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion**
When I began this book, I really wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not. I hadn’t read many reviews before hand, so I was unsure. Though, the concept was really intriguing, so I was really hoping for it to be great - it’s a book for book lovers, and sounds beautiful, but sadly it left me really disappointed.
The main thing that let it down was the pacing. I got really bored in the middle, and wasn't fully engaged with the story at all. Some parts felt way too rushed, yet at others it was painfully slow. The ending was really disappointing too - it felt incredibly rushed, and gave me no closure at all. I won’t be reading the sequel (if there is one) as I didn’t enjoy the book, which makes me feel even more let down, as it just didn’t explain anything!
One thing I did like was all the family themes explored. A large section of the plot was defined by Noelle’s love for her family, and it was refreshing! There’s slowly starting to be more family themes in YA, but for now, I’ll take what I can get! ☺
Something that I really didn’t like in this book was the romance. Noelle’s involvement with Ledger was cringe-worthy and unnecessary anyway, but an added love triangle? No thanks! To be fair, it wasn’t huge, but I was confused as to why it was added in. I didn’t enjoy any aspects of the romance, and it just distracted from the plot.
I really liked the protagonist, Noelle! She wasn’t perfect, but she definitely had her fist-pump worthy moments. She was flawed, but real depth was shown, and I liked how determined she was. I enjoyed reading about her, even if I wasn’t convinced by all her decisions!
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book. It had its moments, but I was so disappointed, and I didn’t enjoy it. There were some beautiful quotes, but it was too oddly paced for me, and too many aspects that let me down to give it a higher rating. I’m really disappointing, because I thought it had so much potential!
When I began this book, I really wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not. I hadn’t read many reviews before hand, so I was unsure. Though, the concept was really intriguing, so I was really hoping for it to be great - it’s a book for book lovers, and sounds beautiful, but sadly it left me really disappointed.
The main thing that let it down was the pacing. I got really bored in the middle, and wasn't fully engaged with the story at all. Some parts felt way too rushed, yet at others it was painfully slow. The ending was really disappointing too - it felt incredibly rushed, and gave me no closure at all. I won’t be reading the sequel (if there is one) as I didn’t enjoy the book, which makes me feel even more let down, as it just didn’t explain anything!
One thing I did like was all the family themes explored. A large section of the plot was defined by Noelle’s love for her family, and it was refreshing! There’s slowly starting to be more family themes in YA, but for now, I’ll take what I can get! ☺
Something that I really didn’t like in this book was the romance. Noelle’s involvement with Ledger was cringe-worthy and unnecessary anyway, but an added love triangle? No thanks! To be fair, it wasn’t huge, but I was confused as to why it was added in. I didn’t enjoy any aspects of the romance, and it just distracted from the plot.
I really liked the protagonist, Noelle! She wasn’t perfect, but she definitely had her fist-pump worthy moments. She was flawed, but real depth was shown, and I liked how determined she was. I enjoyed reading about her, even if I wasn’t convinced by all her decisions!
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book. It had its moments, but I was so disappointed, and I didn’t enjoy it. There were some beautiful quotes, but it was too oddly paced for me, and too many aspects that let me down to give it a higher rating. I’m really disappointing, because I thought it had so much potential!
January 12, 2016
This had an ... interesting premise. The idea of a bookless world is one that a lot of people fear, I guess, but it was sometime before the world building really convinced me. The difference between language and literacy wasn't made clear for such a long time that I couldn't understand why characters talked about words as though they were something Other but used words to do so. It was explored in more depth as the book went on and made more sense, but that limited my enjoyment of the opening chapters. The concept did have a wee bit of a "hurr durr technology is scary and edison was a witch" vibe to it, though. Look, I love books, and I too fear a world where no one reads them... I just don't think changing technology will be the reason for that. And I'm also a firm believer in oral storytelling, which was mostly glossed over here in favour of books as physical objects. I prefer the philosophy at the end of Farenheit 451 and the message that books are vessels and it's what is inside that's important and which needs to be preserved. But I'm getting bogged down in the philosophy here. Let's move on.
Writing: good, some nice lines, but didn't blow me out of the sky. A few less believable bits of dialogue, I suppose, but nothing to majorly interfere with my enjoyment of it.
Characters: there was one called Miriam! And... that's about all I can say there. The protag, Noelle, wasn't annoying like some YA protags, but she wasn't amazingly engaging either, so I was pretty neutral on her.
Relationships: this was working perfectly fine without the romance, why did you have to do this to me.
Plot: decent quest-style plot with high stakes and it followed through rather than pulling its punches, but the ending was a bit... sudden? It seemed to end very quickly when it eventually did.
Got this from NetGalley so will probably write a full review on my blog in future. Trying to get back into the review game now that uni term has finished.
Writing: good, some nice lines, but didn't blow me out of the sky. A few less believable bits of dialogue, I suppose, but nothing to majorly interfere with my enjoyment of it.
Characters: there was one called Miriam! And... that's about all I can say there. The protag, Noelle, wasn't annoying like some YA protags, but she wasn't amazingly engaging either, so I was pretty neutral on her.
Relationships: this was working perfectly fine without the romance, why did you have to do this to me.
Plot: decent quest-style plot with high stakes and it followed through rather than pulling its punches, but the ending was a bit... sudden? It seemed to end very quickly when it eventually did.
Got this from NetGalley so will probably write a full review on my blog in future. Trying to get back into the review game now that uni term has finished.
June 24, 2016
I liked this book at first, but it went downhill after about the 1/4 mark. Here's why I did not like it:
1) Lack of world-building. There were Vales and Sovereigns and Risings and volumes to collect and mysterious distances and people freaked out by other people. But not one of these things was really elaborated on and it quickly became confusing. I would have made an outline, but, in all honesty, I didn't care enough.
2) The concept is incredible - a future where there are no books and no one can read and words/text have been outlawed. Sounds amazing, right? Except something is lacking in the background information. The reader just isn't given enough of a grip to understand what is really happening in the present, nor the past. It is just kind of vague.
3) Info Dumps - And when something IS expanded upon, it is done so in a big ol' info dump. It's poured out to the reader all at once after chapters of hardly any information at all. Not. A. Fan.
4) John (a small spoiler alert on this one) - John was not around long enough for me to feel any kind of connection to him at all, or at least feel the connection between him and Noelle. Logically I understand it, but the author did not make me feel it. I could care less he was replaced and speaking of...
5) Ledger - I could also care less about Ledger. I am not interested in what he really is, or how he feels about Noelle or she about him (which don't even get me started on how this makes zero sense), and I don't understand what he really added to the story other than as a companion and love interest. The intent is clearly for him to be a big part of the story, but he is completely expendable to me.
1) Lack of world-building. There were Vales and Sovereigns and Risings and volumes to collect and mysterious distances and people freaked out by other people. But not one of these things was really elaborated on and it quickly became confusing. I would have made an outline, but, in all honesty, I didn't care enough.
2) The concept is incredible - a future where there are no books and no one can read and words/text have been outlawed. Sounds amazing, right? Except something is lacking in the background information. The reader just isn't given enough of a grip to understand what is really happening in the present, nor the past. It is just kind of vague.
3) Info Dumps - And when something IS expanded upon, it is done so in a big ol' info dump. It's poured out to the reader all at once after chapters of hardly any information at all. Not. A. Fan.
4) John (a small spoiler alert on this one) - John was not around long enough for me to feel any kind of connection to him at all, or at least feel the connection between him and Noelle. Logically I understand it, but the author did not make me feel it. I could care less he was replaced and speaking of...
5) Ledger - I could also care less about Ledger. I am not interested in what he really is, or how he feels about Noelle or she about him (which don't even get me started on how this makes zero sense), and I don't understand what he really added to the story other than as a companion and love interest. The intent is clearly for him to be a big part of the story, but he is completely expendable to me.
March 25, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 8%.
This one has been on hold since I started reading it. I couldn't really get into it and thought there was a lot of information without it really being explained. After having it on hold for longer than I could keep my attention to read it, I have finally decided to DNF it. I found the pacing okay, but the narrative wasn't to my liking and I could not connect with Noelle at all. I didn't like that she basically knew she was the special, chosen one and was waiting for a chance to show it. I also didn't really like or get the whole premise of the story since it was discussed a bit but not nearly enough to catch me.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
DNF at 8%.
This one has been on hold since I started reading it. I couldn't really get into it and thought there was a lot of information without it really being explained. After having it on hold for longer than I could keep my attention to read it, I have finally decided to DNF it. I found the pacing okay, but the narrative wasn't to my liking and I could not connect with Noelle at all. I didn't like that she basically knew she was the special, chosen one and was waiting for a chance to show it. I also didn't really like or get the whole premise of the story since it was discussed a bit but not nearly enough to catch me.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
January 13, 2016
Beautiful writing and great quotes, however, the characters lacked of depth, there were things that seemed unlocigal and the worldbuilding was weak.
July 26, 2016
This book was written for book lovers like us. Blood, Ink and Fire is a book I'll remember forever.
April 29, 2018
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Please note that this review is strictly my opinion considering the other reviews for it.
I don't even know where to begin except to point out the irony of reading a book about a world without books. It took me so long to finish reading this and don't get me wrong; the book was not bad at all. No -- it really wasn't. It wasn't the book, it was me. I'm visiting my family for two weeks and I just didn't want to read. It was a big mistake. Let me start off by talking about the characters.
Noelle was beautifully written; she was well-rounded and believable. A part of her was a part of me and because of that, she was relatable, and that's a big thing to have when it comes to writing a great story. The other characters were just as rounded out as she was, making the story flow and the characters jump off the pages.
Books were like people. The stories inside them were real. The characters lived and breathed. Books were life. They were breath. To feel these things in the stories as keenly as if they were not just words on a page, but memories from your own life, to make you imagine things you never even dreamed of, that was the power of a book.
I can't imagine a world without books… especially without books like this. It is rare that I come across such a book that makes me feel this way. The whole story was just so well thought out that while I read, the scenes played out in my mind like a movie. At points, I forgot I was even reading. I was Noelle.
The plot was... (please click the logo for full review)
May 8, 2016
This is a book that I really wanted to fall in love with and unfortunately did not. I tried for months to work my way through this book and when I hit the halfway mark and was still not invested I had to put it down making this my first Did Not Finish review.
The book certainly had an interesting premise. It’s about a world where the written word has been taken away and where literacy is illegal. All information and learning is controlled by a computer system called Verity. Our main character, Elle, is a Reader. Maybe one of the last ones. I never got far enough in the book to figure out if there were any others like her. Elle has to go on a journey to save the written word and save everyone from the control of Fell and Verity.
There have been other books like this before of course and the ones I’ve read have been really good. I really wanted to see how Mansour was going to be able to pull off a unique take on a popular topic. My interest in the book went up and down. At first I was really excited to read it and then I wasn’t and then I was. That’s what kept me going for so long with it. If I could get excited some of the time, then surely finishing the book would be worth it. I wanted to finish it and see that the good parts outweighed the bad parts. I was rooting for this book.
Not being able to connect with Elle is certainly a reason why it was hard for me to keep going. We figure out that she’s a reader pretty early on in the story, but it never seems to occur to her how important that is. Yes, it’s something that scares her as it should, but she should also be able to realize the power that she holds because of it. I would have liked to see her character develop a little more in the first half of the book into someone who realizes the strength she holds within herself.
Not understanding a character is not something I usually have to deal with, but in this book I could not wrap my mind around just what Ledger was. When I first realized what had happened and the body that he now inhabited I thought that it was really cool. I wanted to see where she was going to take this, I wanted to see how the relationship between Ledger and Elle would develop. Every time the conversation turned the just what exactly was Ledger, I was confused. My brain cannot wrap my mind around the fact that the written word literally came to life and planted itself into the body of a recently deceased human. The written word. Came to life. Not like a movie adaptation, but actually and literally came to life. It’s not something that I could make sense of.
Ledger’s relationship with Elle was also very odd to me. He is inhabiting the body of someone she was very close to and yet she can fall in love with this new being inhabiting the body as if she was flipping a switch. Yes, at first there was an awkwardness, but then almost instantly it changed and the relationship developed very awkwardly and not organically at all.
Another thing I did not feel was organic at all was the speech patterns used in the book. They didn’t feel real. She also had Elle ask a lot of questions for clarification. It was as if Mansour knew that the audience would be confused and wanted to make sure we understood what was going on. Once or twice wouldn’t have bothered me as much, but it felt like it was all the time. It felt like there was a lot of telling and not showing in this novel and that’s probably why the writing didn’t feel as real to me as it should have.
While the novel didn’t have a completely original concept, I was disappointed in the execution. There were so many aspects of this book that had so much potential and could have made it amazing. Some parts were so clever that I had no choice but to keep reading, but unfortunately the parts that I didn’t connect with got in the way of all of the good things. I gave this one star because I don't know if you can leave 0 stars on a book. I don't feel like I can accurately give it a star rating though because I could not finish it.
The book certainly had an interesting premise. It’s about a world where the written word has been taken away and where literacy is illegal. All information and learning is controlled by a computer system called Verity. Our main character, Elle, is a Reader. Maybe one of the last ones. I never got far enough in the book to figure out if there were any others like her. Elle has to go on a journey to save the written word and save everyone from the control of Fell and Verity.
There have been other books like this before of course and the ones I’ve read have been really good. I really wanted to see how Mansour was going to be able to pull off a unique take on a popular topic. My interest in the book went up and down. At first I was really excited to read it and then I wasn’t and then I was. That’s what kept me going for so long with it. If I could get excited some of the time, then surely finishing the book would be worth it. I wanted to finish it and see that the good parts outweighed the bad parts. I was rooting for this book.
Not being able to connect with Elle is certainly a reason why it was hard for me to keep going. We figure out that she’s a reader pretty early on in the story, but it never seems to occur to her how important that is. Yes, it’s something that scares her as it should, but she should also be able to realize the power that she holds because of it. I would have liked to see her character develop a little more in the first half of the book into someone who realizes the strength she holds within herself.
Not understanding a character is not something I usually have to deal with, but in this book I could not wrap my mind around just what Ledger was. When I first realized what had happened and the body that he now inhabited I thought that it was really cool. I wanted to see where she was going to take this, I wanted to see how the relationship between Ledger and Elle would develop. Every time the conversation turned the just what exactly was Ledger, I was confused. My brain cannot wrap my mind around the fact that the written word literally came to life and planted itself into the body of a recently deceased human. The written word. Came to life. Not like a movie adaptation, but actually and literally came to life. It’s not something that I could make sense of.
Ledger’s relationship with Elle was also very odd to me. He is inhabiting the body of someone she was very close to and yet she can fall in love with this new being inhabiting the body as if she was flipping a switch. Yes, at first there was an awkwardness, but then almost instantly it changed and the relationship developed very awkwardly and not organically at all.
Another thing I did not feel was organic at all was the speech patterns used in the book. They didn’t feel real. She also had Elle ask a lot of questions for clarification. It was as if Mansour knew that the audience would be confused and wanted to make sure we understood what was going on. Once or twice wouldn’t have bothered me as much, but it felt like it was all the time. It felt like there was a lot of telling and not showing in this novel and that’s probably why the writing didn’t feel as real to me as it should have.
While the novel didn’t have a completely original concept, I was disappointed in the execution. There were so many aspects of this book that had so much potential and could have made it amazing. Some parts were so clever that I had no choice but to keep reading, but unfortunately the parts that I didn’t connect with got in the way of all of the good things. I gave this one star because I don't know if you can leave 0 stars on a book. I don't feel like I can accurately give it a star rating though because I could not finish it.
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