Blood & Ink

Ink Born #2

by Holly Evans

It turns out that saving the day comes at a cost. In this case, my home in Wildrun. Oh, and my freedom.

Keirn called in a few favours with his friend, Fein. In return for a new life and some help hiding the fact that I’m an ink magician, we belong to the elf that runs half of Prague. Some rumours say he runs half the continent.

There’s an art thief in town, and Fein’s decided it’s my job to find and stop them. I didn’t dare point out that I’m a tattoo magician, not a detective.

The real problem is, I’m terrified that this is a slippery slope, and I don’t like where it’s going.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, M M Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, LGBT

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2017

About the author

Holly Evans is an urban fantasy author with an unhealthy fascination with blades, a deep love of hellhounds, and would love one day to wake up as a fae. When she isn't wrangling rogue characters and trying to tame her muse, she's researching shiny new ninja moves. During her spare time she fights crime and rights wrongs on the streets of County Kerry.

Reviews

[Len Evans Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... that was one amazing ride. The author awesome at not only writing great action, with an incredible magic system, but does all that while still writing an incredible story about the people's lives, loves and other issues. I was kinda pissed when at the beginning of this book both Dacian and Keirn's lives got totally screwed up and I didn't think it was fair. However over the course of the book she crafted a much larger picture and filled in so much more that the puzzle pieces all started to fit perfectly. She is also very talented in writing the whole solving the mystery side of the story as well.
Once again I just have to say that her talent is just awesome and reading her books is a joy. I am really looking forward to book three and finding out where Dacian and Keirn's live go next. Plus I can't wait to see what cool new magic stuff will happen as well. Dacian has grown so far from just the simple tattoo magician he claimed to be in book one and that it both good and bad for him.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good second in series

Blood and Ink by Holly Evans continues the story where book one left off. You could probably read this without realizing book one and not get lost. Tattoos placed by a tattoo magician is so different than other tattoos, magic tattoos come alive and can leap off of you if you let them. In this book, there is an evil magician that is stealing magic tattoos which kills the victim. Our two gay tattoos,one is a magical tattooist and one is an elf artist, are drafted to help find the thief. Loved it but the ending just stops...

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the authorities started sniffing around in Boston in the previous book, Dacian and company have moved to the supernatural community in the heart of Prague. They now work under an elf named Fein who provides them with protection, jobs, and a home. Dacian feels rather stifled under Fein’s iron fist, dictating what clients he meets with and what jobs he does. And to add to the headache, the ink network is acting up, invading Dacian’s consciousness whenever it can, flooding his senses with colors which apparently are instructions from the ink network demanding that he fix the problem of art being stolen by rogue ink magicians.

If I were to akin this series to anything, it would be the Harry Dresden books. Dacian has a personality that reminds me of Harry. He doesn’t have Harry’s humor, but he does have the put-upon attitude, and he’s pushed into trying to solve the problems of the supernatural community. Dacian is an ink magician, which apparently is a bad thing (though I’m still not too sure why even after reading two books in the series), and in his daily work he claims to be a tattoo magician (which apparently is a perfectly acceptable thing). Basically, he can use the ink network (basically a disembodied consciousness made up entirely of emotion and color which exists on the astral plane) to bring to life the tattoos that are lurking within people. They become familiars to the people. Dacian’s tattoo familiars were running around throughout this book causing all sorts of havoc in their apartment (I love how much personality Kyra has and how she really doesn’t listen to Dacian even though she’s technically supposed to have part of his personality. She’s a cat). I’m glad that Dacian’s tattoo partner the elf Keirn had a larger part in this book and we even got to see a bit of his background, introducing us more fully to him. The magic featured in this book is rather garbled and muddied and mostly just a hodge-podge of colors, allowing Dacian to just do things (I said that about the previous book as well). I did like the community of elves though. That was fascinating even though it felt like it took time away from the direction of the story. Actually, the story itself felt like it meandered a lot. I kept waiting for the art thefts that the blurb promised and they didn’t come in until past the halfway point. Vyx is the token female character in this book (not counting a couple of female clients) and she’s really just a side character, so I was lacking a female perspective. The majority of characters in this book are gay, so hence it’s a lot of male characters. I was disappointed by the ending since the final conflict got resolved while Dacian was wrapped up with the ink network. Honestly, I miss Boston. One thing I love about the Harry Dresden books is the modern world with the hidden supernatural world to it, since the two together make an interesting clash. In this book, Prague is an ancient city with plenty of gothic architecture, making the supernatural world blend right in with it, and Dacian spends most of his time within the supernatural community, not interacting with the non-magic really at all. Like the Dresden books, he does meet and see other supernatural beings in the city, like when he goes to the goblin market. In all, with the pacing being as slow, and no female viewpoint for me to latch on to, the magical world around them wasn’t really brought to life, though I did like Dacian and Keirn’s relationship whatever it was, but I’ll probably be stopping with the series here.

[llv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars
This book is definitely not a standalone. Even though I had read the first book, I was still a bit lost in the beginning since it was so long ago. That being said, I really enjoyed this world that the author created despite having to play catch up in the beginning. It’s a big departure from the light romances that I usually read, and I thought it a really good change of pace. Dacian is definitely not perfect as the MC. It is his voice that provides the basis for the story and we get to see his inner workings warts and all. Keirn I absolutely loved along with all of the assorted critters. I also liked the introduction of all the new characters.

Overall, I enjoyed this story start to finish. While it didn’t end in a cliffhanger, this story’s ending was definitely open ended. I find that I am looking forward to the next one in the series and I don’t plan to wait so long to read it this time.

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, this is really not a romance. Yes, there is physical connection and deep friendship, but if you're looking for an HEA or OTP, this certainly isn't it. Maybe eventually, Dacian might get there, but it really doesn't look like that's gonna happen any time soon. I think I'm done with this series, even as a backup for when I need a specific word in the title. Not awful, just not my jam, and it took way too long to refresh my memory of book one to make it worth contemplating keeping this on Mount TBR.

[Ben Mcpeake · Rating 1 out of 5]

For me this book was a mess. I love Dacian, Keirn and Vyx but that's about it. I hated Fien and Shadow and Luke were not developed enough for me to care about them and it just seemed like everyone was against Dacian for no reason and i think it is completely reasonable for Dacian to not like Fien or Tyn seeing as they threatened Keirn's safety if he didn't do exactly what they wanted and it pissed me off that he didn't tell anyone about it.

The writing was also very inconsistent and sloppy throughout the story and one of the best parts of the first book which was the magic and the tattoo animals was lost for me in this and Aris was barely even in the book at all. The end of the book was also not really an ending at all and it was all just a let down.

Overall i give this book a 1.5/10 and i will probably finish this series but i will not read any more stories by this author.

[caroline wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good addition to the series

I received this book for an honest opinion.
This is the 2nd book in the ink born series and follows Dacian to Europe where he's on the run from what went down in the last book with the council. Now that he's been exposed as an ink magician we find him and his mismatched group of friends in Prague on the goodwill of an acquaintance of kairns another elf called fain. Though whether he's a good ally to have is another story.
Coming to terms with his abilities that he's slowly starting to unfurl as an ink magician and settling albeit uncomfortably in his new settings the ink network is knocking on the door of his mind again as there is a disturbance of its network where someone is stealing threads of the ink of the network and using it for nefarious purposes. With the network keeping on to find the culprits and heartbreak to contend with he has to venture into the ink world network to solve the case and to get a little bit of peace.
This story was another intriguing twist of plots with good friendships and free flowing writing. I was a bit upset that Isu is no longer a main part of the plot but I'm hoping that maybe some other relationship will progress with another favourite character but can't wait for the next in the series. A good read.

[Rosalind M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pacing doesn't align with the supposed urgency of the situation, the plot was not strong enough, and Keirn and his spirit animals are the only characters I find myself caring about. Also, the ink network is a magic system full of potential that hasn't been tapped into, almost as if the author wasn't sure what to do with it at this point.

[Aljan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this was quite as fluid as the first book but I still enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[J C Steel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dacian Corbeaux and his tattoo partner Keirn have fled to Prague, and are living embedded on the edge of the Magical Quarter, under the protection of a powerful wood elf named Fein. However, rumours of an ink magician in the city are spreading despite all the protection the elf can give, and Dacian's relationship with the ink is still uncertain - too uncertain to allow him to interpret the message it's trying to give him so urgently that he can hardly focus on the work he does to earn his protection. Between that and personal crises in his household, the situation in Prague is precarious.

Blood and Ink is a strong sequel to Stolen Ink, with the focus on Dacian and Keirn and a completely new setting. The book would stand alone, but reading the first one provides more context to the backstory, and the world-building is more than rich enough to merit reading both. The skilled pacing and story-telling that shone in the first book are still present in the second, although I did feel that the characters' personal lives detracted some of the focus from the main plot. It's hard to get too worried about this, however, as the characters are one of the key strengths of the series - cynical, well-developed, and part of a truly unique magic system. I would recommend this book - and the series - to any readers of urban fantasy looking for something new.

Reviewed for By Rite of Word.

[Sarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[B. Sinsational · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balance is a bit of, but still a good read!
After having read the first part in this series I was eager to get to see how the story continued. I had been thoroughly enchanted by the inventive storyline, and vivid characters. This book was not up to par with the first one. This is still a good read, dont get me wrong, but after some afterthought I realised that in a supernatural book, you expect the focus to be on the “adventure” or supernatural event, and not on sexual encounters or preferences in partners. Emotions are good, and some action can always be a good additive creating a supportive ambience to the book, but the balance must be tipped towards the main genre. It is still a captivating book, and a read that in no way is substandard or inferior, on the contrary, its very skilled in a a similar way the first book was. I am just missing that edge, and focus that was evident there. A thought that also occured was that even if this might be a LGBT oriented protagonist, and the other characters there are the same way, its a perculiar vacuum of people with non LGBT orientation, only exception being asexual as Vyx is, or non sexual as the animals. A balancing point of only one type of characters is not optimal, a mixture would be beneficial. I willl read the third book, and hope i find the magic of the story back in focus. I know this writer has some mad skills and talents that was evident from the first book, I hope to see more of that in the future. In plain words, balance, less magic between the sheets and more magic in the magic ink. That i rate it as a 4 is a testament to that even if the balance is of, its well written, vivid, and intriguing.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extraordinarily good book. I really liked the first book, but the time I was able to understand all of the fantasy terms and creatures, it had ended. I was on another level with this book and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There is new characters in the story that you quickly get attached too. More mysteries surround them as Fien becomes a stronger character in this book as Dacian and Keirn become even more bonded as Isa breaks it off with Dacian. Art is being stolen and Fein, who now is owed favors for him rescuing Dacian from being discovered as a Ink Magician is sending Dacian to find the perpetrators. The Ink Net is causing him grief and his own mouth and behavior gets him in constant trouble. Keirn and Dacian continue to cover each other's backs as does their friends. There is sex in the story, but implied rather than graphic and that made the book even better as the author didn't use sex as a filler for making the story longer, it just contained excellent content. Would recommend this story for anyoone to read, but read the first one in the series before you tackle this one. It's not a book I would consider a standalone.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the author’s excellent Ink Born series, following up from book 1, Stolen Ink. You really need to read that book first in order to get full enjoyment out of this one. Don’t worry though, it’s excellent and you won’t regret reading it first. Frankly, the whole concept of Ink magic, introduced in book 1, is an extraordinarily neat one that is handled perfectly.

If you did read that first book (which pretty much means you enjoyed it) then I can virtually guarantee you’ll love Blood & Ink. Dacian, Keirn and Vyx are back (along with Kyra the cat, can’t forget the cat!). They’re hiding out in beautiful Prague at the home of one of the best characters I’ve had the pleasure of “meeting”, Fein, virtual master of Prague and do much more. Add in a cast that includes panther shifter bodyguards, a plot full of thrills and action (thanks to little jobs Fein has Dacian do) and complex emotions as relations develop between the characters, and the result is a powerful but at the same time totally fun novel.

Highly recommended.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a little less than the previous one... Isaiah's backstory was so handwavy and vague that I thought for sure we were going to find out more specifics about it in the second book and, uh, that didn't happen. Also there were some new characters who weren't very well developed, and the romantic plot seemed to come out of nowhere considering who Dacian was having sexual tension with in the previous book.

The plot was less satisfying, too, since Dacian is pulled kicking and screaming through it. Almost all of his decisions are made for him by Fein, a character everyone around him his encouraging him to get on board with because he's done laudable things in the past, even though it looks like he's maneuvered Dacian into an indenturement situation?

It's a pretty quick, engaging read that I enjoyed overall, but some of the logical leaps and character interactions don't make sense, and this book definitely raises more questions than it answers.

[Stephanie Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the ink born series, and although I believe this could be read stand-alone, you will get much more from it if you have read the first book. This book continues to follow Dacian (an ink magician) and his friends Keiren and Vyx after they have had to escape from Wildborn and are now based in Prague in Europe.

Life is never simple though, everyone has demands and expectations, except for his friends that just need his love and support and provide the same to him without question. Will their dedication be enough to survive in their new city and find the tattoo magician art thieves?!

A great story in a unique and exciting magical world. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[blub · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-ish stars

Pretty much the same as book one in that I feel like I'm still missing some important information. There is a new cast of characters to get to know (not at all likable). The only one's being the same is Dacian, his tattoo partner, and Vyx. I enjoyed this reading fairly less. The plot was good but Dacian is completely wrecked and doesn't have his act together as he did in book 1. There's no romance, just Dacian sleeping around after Isa makes the decision to break off their relationship.

Readers get interesting tidbits about Dacian and his relationship with the ink network.

I'm sorry to say this book made me not want to read the next installment.

[Magnolia · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Magnolia Reviews: Three Petals

The magic in this series is some of the most unique I've ever read and that is the main reason I really enjoyed reading this book. While I do recommend it, I have to warn that you will need to have recently read book one in the series for this book two to make much sense as very little detail or description is provided as a reminder.

Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...

[Rene Averett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing concepts and good story

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. It is tightly written and keeps the book moving most of the time. The main character is interesting and likeable, which kept me pulling for him. The protagonist has an entourage surrounding him, which at times is a bit cloying. Ms. Evans has a tendency to repeat herself with certain information too often. As a reader, I got the message. But overlooking that little issue, the story is well plotted and unique. Worth the read. Looking forward to the next one.

[Lillian I. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in the series, this book continues the story of ink magician Dacien as he and his ink partner move to Prague and become involved with an high level elf who provides them living quarters so long as they work for him. The elf character also appears in Ms. Evans Alchemist series. As with her first book, the story is well written and has a tight plot. The tendency to repeat certain phrases continues and can be irritating. As I reader, I got it... you don't need to repeat it over and over. In spite of that, I did enjoy the book and the story line.

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I guess the author took the criticism of the first book, namely that the love relationship was super weak and uninteresting, to heart, because she breaks them up in this book and actually puts the MC with the person who made sense! I don't really remember anything much else about the first book, and alas, she didn't really remedy my ignorance, but I liked this okay anyway. Will totally read the next one.

[Kriselda Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book.

This is the second book in Holly Evans "Ink Born" series and picks up right where "Stolen Ink" left off, with Dacian and friends moving to a new city in hopes of staying ahead of those who'd like to use his special skills for their own ends.

One result of the move is that he is no longer able to be his own boss, and getting used to working for someone else isn't easy. Plus there are, of course, the emotional ramifications of such a sudden move and the stress it can put on any relationship, and new relationships to be forged. Worse, Kieran is faced with a family tragedy and needs the support of his friend. With all that already on his plate, when Dacian is drawn into a new mystery and the ink network tries to force an even tighter bond, he finds himself struggling to keep it all together.

The only complaint I had with the book is that the author had a few phases that, to me, were overused, and on a couple of occasions, it seemed like a brief passage of dialog was repeated almost word for word. Still, the story, characters and the world they exist in are compelling and quite enjoyable

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still liking this series a lot despite the fact the world building isn't spectacular. Alot of things aren't explained that just appear but I'm slowly starting to get a grasp on the ink magic itself. I like how Dacian is basically fighting to figure out everything and his whole life seems to be in chaos. I was fairly ambivalent to Isa's departure. But I'm inttigued to see if things with Keirian every start going into serious

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. The change in setting takes the story in a different direction. Our Ink Magician is very resistant to all the changes. It is really hard to review and give any evidence without spoilers. I was surprised by some twists and not others. The world is still very interesting and unique. For the 2nd (& transitional) story it was fine. The overall story arc was moved forward nicely. I will read the third installment of this series.

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

I’m not sure that I fully understand why Dacian can’t trust the ink network. It seems to be a bit over excitable, but not specifically malicious, or untrustworthy. What does Dan have against Fein? and I thought that he liked Caiden... Things in this book didn’t really seem to be consistent other than Dan is just curmudgeonly.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying the magical concepts and seeing new ones within each book as well as the development of the main characters, but I'm still quite confused about magic really works in this world and why it would be so bad for the world to know what he is. I feel like this author could do a much better job of explaining some important things without losing the pace the stories.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series but I have to now wait until August for the next book.......NO......I can't wait to see what is going to happen next. It is well written with well developed characters. I am so looking forward to the next book.

[Linda Susan Buerkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual and amazingly different

What an awesome story. Wonderfully imaginative. I loved this book. And the first look also. It caught and held my Attention late into the night and early morning. DaCien needs a lover to ground him. Hope he finds it in the next bpok

[Audrey Cienki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok story with editing and a few grammar errors. The storyline is a bit rough with characters and creatures popping up for no apparent reason at times. Also, is it part of the plot or just a plot hole that Dacian seems to be a rude, selfish, brain dead jerk?

[Anne Marie Heller Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

The story picks right up following book one. I like the developing romance...despite SOMEONE'S blindness to what is happening! Looking forward to book 3