The Ink Slinger

by Martina M. Sneed

Reigna Lewis is an Army veteran and writer, searching for answers in a city where power, politics, and pain hide the truth. After losing her sister and exposing a corrupt district attorney, Reigna wants nothing more than to disappear. But when she's gifted an ancestral pen, it awakens something. Something that doesn't write stories but brings them to life.

Each stroke of the ink pulls Reigna deeper into a war with hidden councils and immortal enemies that began generations ago. The ink reveals secrets from her bloodline and ignites powers she doesn't yet understand, forcing Reigna to confront the truth.

As adversaries close in and the Inkwell Society rises again, Reigna must choose between rewriting history or failing the legacy left in her hands.

The Ink Slinger is a captivating urban fantasy debut steeped in legacy, grief, and reclamation. A powerful story about Black womanhood, family, and the magic that lives in the stories we dare to tell.

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[What Quetta’s Reading]

Summary: This story is about FMC Reigna Lewis who writes a book about the corruption in her local legal system, detailing people and facts. During the story, she is navigating grief from the loss of her father and sister, while also learning how to use a powerful pen and ink that she has inherited it from her paternal ancestors. She begins working with a local reporter Dalton Moss to gather more information and expose those in power. While working with Dalton she also has to fight an ancient cousin who wants the pen and of magic for himself. She does all this with no major help from them gods who control time. In the end she will find she has more enemies out there than she thought that are ready to give her another challenge.

Thoughts: I loved the idea of this book. As a reader with much respect for the authors I enjoy, having a FMC who is a hero with a pen is perfect! Those who write often literally save lives with their stories. I enjoyed all the layers to the story. At times I remained a little confused with all the twist and turn, and wondering how we got here. There is a lot of jumping between present day and the past to keep up with. In the end I liked how everything came together and seeing her work through all the challenges she had to face. Overall I enjoyed the ride and I am excited to see Reigna next adventure.

3.5/5 ⭐️

[Maddie Morgan]

The Ink Slinger by Martina M. Sneed was phenomenal. This book kept me on my toes from beginning to end. The character descriptions and development were so well done, and I really enjoyed how the timeline unfolded.

It gave me some Fahrenheit 451 vibes, especially in the way it explores the power of knowledge, stories, and controlling what people know about their own history. It really made me think about who gets to control information, who gets to tell the story, and what happens when people uncover truths that were meant to stay hidden.

What made it unique was how those themes were woven into a fantasy world filled with magic, ancestry, and mystery. There were definitely moments where I thought I had things figured out, only to realize I was completely wrong 😂.

Overall, such a captivating read. If you enjoy fantasy, strong character development, mystery, and stories that make you think, I definitely recommend this one.

[Jasmine Shabazz]

The Ink Slinger (ARC) by Martina M. Sneed: Release date August 22, 2025 | Urban fantasy It's about grief, legacy, and a pen that holds more power than it should. Fmc Regina Lewis author army veteran | badass fighter 💪🏽😮‍💨🤩 mmc Dalton news journalist. I absolutely love a comment thread in books I was eating this up and the ending😮‍💨👀 I'm excited to see what else this author will write🫶🏽📖🤗‼️‼️ I do see room for some improvement however I enjoyed reading The Ink Slinger very much. The story / | the characters | the magic system 🤩📚☺️‼️‼️

[Stephen Winter]

Awesome read! This superhero-style fantasy follows Reigna, a woman who publishes a book exposing the corruption festering in her city. Just as the backlash intensifies and enemies close in, her mother gifts her a magical pen that unlocks extraordinary powers. I especially loved the magic system and the sharp, punchy writing.

Perfect for fans of Watchmen!

Wonderful job, Martina!

[Dresden]

Overall concept was interesting. Shallow writing made it feel like an early 2000s CW/Fox show. I could not tell what was happening at times due to the choppiness of the writing. I had to fill in too many gaps myself. I almost put it down multiple times, but the ideas overall made me want to stick it out.

[RedVillainxREADS]

ARC Read from 7/12/25, I will be re reading soon.

[Rosie]

This is a great start to a riveting new series.

[Ashlei Warburton]

I liked the story and the characters although some things felt a bit unfinished. This also needed a tremendous amount of editing which made some things confusing and hard to read.