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Gilded Blood #1
Inked
When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him… until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn't expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn's office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?
Now – through (mostly) no fault of my own – we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm.
I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn't expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn's office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?
Now – through (mostly) no fault of my own – we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2022
3419 people are currently reading
8409 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Rener
23 books754 followersRachel Rener is a multi-award-winning, bestselling romantasy author best known for her fan-favorite Gilded Blood universe. Her books blend magic with real science, infusing powerful-yet-quirky heroines, emotional depth, and irresistible, sizzling romance.
After earning a degree in Psych and Neuroscience, Rachel has since lived on three continents and traveled to nearly 50 countries, fueling her worldbuilding with diverse cultural and mythological influences.
When she's not writing, Rachel enjoys making art in every medium she can get her hands on, riding her motorcycle, attending rock shows (both the musical and mineralogical kind), and engaging with her devoted reader community, Rachel’s Renergades. She lives in Colorado with her husband and a very opinionated umbrella cockatoo named Terrance (aka “Jungle Chicken”), who insists on being her loudest critic.
Learn more at www.RachelRener.com!
You can also be regaled with totally inappropriate stories and behind the scenes shenanigans by signing up for her newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/Rachel-Rener-NL .
@AuthorRachelRener across all socials
After earning a degree in Psych and Neuroscience, Rachel has since lived on three continents and traveled to nearly 50 countries, fueling her worldbuilding with diverse cultural and mythological influences.
When she's not writing, Rachel enjoys making art in every medium she can get her hands on, riding her motorcycle, attending rock shows (both the musical and mineralogical kind), and engaging with her devoted reader community, Rachel’s Renergades. She lives in Colorado with her husband and a very opinionated umbrella cockatoo named Terrance (aka “Jungle Chicken”), who insists on being her loudest critic.
Learn more at www.RachelRener.com!
You can also be regaled with totally inappropriate stories and behind the scenes shenanigans by signing up for her newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/Rachel-Rener-NL .
@AuthorRachelRener across all socials
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 773 reviews
April 10, 2024
This author has quickly become an auto-buy for me. Her books are just so good! A kick-ass heroine, a hot and mysterious guy, a snarky animal familiar and a host of other magical creatures. Throw in an exciting adventure and we have perfection. This was such a fun and fast-paced read that I didn't want to put down. The magical system was intriguing and the romance was so swoony.
Talia's mom was my favorite character. Her parts had me constantly chuckling. I adored her. And Biscuit. He made me so happy. I'm excited to see more of him.
I enjoyed learning some of the history of the magical world and hope to learn more about it and Zayn's past in upcoming books. And more kissing! Definitely want more of that.
Talia's mom was my favorite character. Her parts had me constantly chuckling. I adored her. And Biscuit. He made me so happy. I'm excited to see more of him.
I enjoyed learning some of the history of the magical world and hope to learn more about it and Zayn's past in upcoming books. And more kissing! Definitely want more of that.
May 7, 2022
I made it 1/3 way through
Started off with promise, but quickly got to the point where I wanted the main character to stop being such an idiot. When faced with multiple situations that she was totally ill-equipped to deal with, she did exactly the opposite of what the love-interest (who knew how to handle it) told her to do, and for no reason other than her curiosity. The third deadly situation she found herself in because of her own stupidity was the final straw. Also, the whining about the nature of the main love-interest 🙄 she came across as a bratty teen rather than a strong capable protagonist and that just doesn’t interest me.
Started off with promise, but quickly got to the point where I wanted the main character to stop being such an idiot. When faced with multiple situations that she was totally ill-equipped to deal with, she did exactly the opposite of what the love-interest (who knew how to handle it) told her to do, and for no reason other than her curiosity. The third deadly situation she found herself in because of her own stupidity was the final straw. Also, the whining about the nature of the main love-interest 🙄 she came across as a bratty teen rather than a strong capable protagonist and that just doesn’t interest me.
March 28, 2023
DNF at 44%
I just had to stop reading. Its a huge pet peeve of mine when an idiotic mc doesn't listen to someone who is an expert & ends up causing untold calamity. If you're in a new world & told not to touch anything, then don't. If you're told to stay hidden, then don't creep around to get a look. If you're told to stay in the tent, then stay in the mf'ing tent! Soooo annoying. At this point, I was hoping Talia would accidentally fall on a sword & die.
I just had to stop reading. Its a huge pet peeve of mine when an idiotic mc doesn't listen to someone who is an expert & ends up causing untold calamity. If you're in a new world & told not to touch anything, then don't. If you're told to stay hidden, then don't creep around to get a look. If you're told to stay in the tent, then stay in the mf'ing tent! Soooo annoying. At this point, I was hoping Talia would accidentally fall on a sword & die.
February 24, 2022
Take
- One sweet and sassy tattoo artist with a needle phobia,
- Her sexy as sin, downright panty melting incubus boss,
- a totally awesome, slightly hysterical and overprotective Jewish mother
- And a certain Biscuit that you'll simply adore. - I'm serious guys! This Biscuit steals the show!!
Add in
- a fresh cobra tattoo on a client’s butt that magically springs to life,
and
- an interdimensional filing cabinet leading straight into the fae realm.
Top it with cool magic and totally awesome magical creatures in an edge of the seat fast paced adventure with high stakes.
Sprinkle it with a lot of humour, complete with cool snark and witty banter;
Add in a good measure of romance with a hell lot of feeling
and there you go!
The perfect recipe for an unputdownable read.
Inked is all this and much more!
A fast paced magical adventure full of fun, heart and soul.
Great characters to fall in love with, a world so vivid and enchanting that you can practically see it, humour just right to make you chuckle and grin every so often and a romance so full of feeling that it goes straight to the heart.
I loved this author's other books but fell in love with this one here.
Because of the characters that leap from the page and all that awesome feeling!
Because of Biscuit whom I really wish I could have for myself!
Because of the fun and adventure and everything else in between.
This book is awesome people!
The perfect pick for any fan of Annette Marie or anyone in search of a fun-filled sassy adventure with a lot of feeling.
I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it to any and all fantasy fans out there.
- One sweet and sassy tattoo artist with a needle phobia,
- Her sexy as sin, downright panty melting incubus boss,
- a totally awesome, slightly hysterical and overprotective Jewish mother
- And a certain Biscuit that you'll simply adore. - I'm serious guys! This Biscuit steals the show!!
Add in
- a fresh cobra tattoo on a client’s butt that magically springs to life,
and
- an interdimensional filing cabinet leading straight into the fae realm.
Top it with cool magic and totally awesome magical creatures in an edge of the seat fast paced adventure with high stakes.
Sprinkle it with a lot of humour, complete with cool snark and witty banter;
Add in a good measure of romance with a hell lot of feeling
and there you go!
The perfect recipe for an unputdownable read.
Inked is all this and much more!
A fast paced magical adventure full of fun, heart and soul.
Great characters to fall in love with, a world so vivid and enchanting that you can practically see it, humour just right to make you chuckle and grin every so often and a romance so full of feeling that it goes straight to the heart.
I loved this author's other books but fell in love with this one here.
Because of the characters that leap from the page and all that awesome feeling!
Because of Biscuit whom I really wish I could have for myself!
Because of the fun and adventure and everything else in between.
This book is awesome people!
The perfect pick for any fan of Annette Marie or anyone in search of a fun-filled sassy adventure with a lot of feeling.
I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it to any and all fantasy fans out there.
March 6, 2022
This was one I went into with absolutely no expectations—I saw fae and tattoo, and just dove headfirst for the ARC, and by god was it bloody worth it!! 😍
It was so beautifully described through the colours, much like a tattooist, but I haven't laughed so much at book in such a long time—I have so many quotes and one-liners highlighted on my kindle. Not to mention the chapter titles and art is beautiful! 💜
Talia I absolutely adore because she's so ridiculously relatable that I kept seeing parts of myself with her. Especially with the mother who speaks at unholy volumes down the phone, at multiple times a day—I related so hard to that and her humour! 😍 But her bond with a certain feathered friend captured my heart... There may have been tears at times! 💙
Zayn... Well, I would not be saying no! 🥵 Holy hecketh on a cracker, totally here for the tattooed hottie! 🔥 I loved how protective and mysterious he was from beginning to end with Talia—but that equal amount of kindness and brooding had its hooks in me wanting to know more!
The two of them have such a wonderful dynamic, and it was just so consuming to see how their relationship grows and develops given the circumstances. I honestly can't wait to the second book, and this one isn't even out in the world yet! 😍
Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout—if you love sass, spice and fae this is for you! 💜
It was so beautifully described through the colours, much like a tattooist, but I haven't laughed so much at book in such a long time—I have so many quotes and one-liners highlighted on my kindle. Not to mention the chapter titles and art is beautiful! 💜
Talia I absolutely adore because she's so ridiculously relatable that I kept seeing parts of myself with her. Especially with the mother who speaks at unholy volumes down the phone, at multiple times a day—I related so hard to that and her humour! 😍 But her bond with a certain feathered friend captured my heart... There may have been tears at times! 💙
Zayn... Well, I would not be saying no! 🥵 Holy hecketh on a cracker, totally here for the tattooed hottie! 🔥 I loved how protective and mysterious he was from beginning to end with Talia—but that equal amount of kindness and brooding had its hooks in me wanting to know more!
The two of them have such a wonderful dynamic, and it was just so consuming to see how their relationship grows and develops given the circumstances. I honestly can't wait to the second book, and this one isn't even out in the world yet! 😍
Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout—if you love sass, spice and fae this is for you! 💜
Read
July 8, 2025For those of you who have read and loved the Gilded Blood series, I'm so excited to announce the ULTRA-limited special edition book set is available for preorder for a VERY Limited time.
This is an ultra-exclusive, one-time print run, so don't miss it!!!
***
And in case you haven't heard, a huge number of reviewers are calling this the best Gilded Blood installment to date. So if you haven't yet started Silver Blood, or worse, haven't picked up the series at all, NOW IS THE TIME to grab it!!
(PS the duet-narrated audiobook is out now and it is 🔥🔥🔥!!!)
This is an ultra-exclusive, one-time print run, so don't miss it!!!
***
And in case you haven't heard, a huge number of reviewers are calling this the best Gilded Blood installment to date. So if you haven't yet started Silver Blood, or worse, haven't picked up the series at all, NOW IS THE TIME to grab it!!
(PS the duet-narrated audiobook is out now and it is 🔥🔥🔥!!!)
July 13, 2022
Ok, when a book starts with the first chapter title being called Butt Cobras it's a pretty good guess that I'm going to enjoy it. And did I ever. Inked is a F/M fantasy with a Jewish main character who is in love with her tattooist boss. Talia's boss goes missing and a whole world, literally, opens up for her. It's well written and the story is brilliant. the sexy inclusions are detailed and on point, and the humour had me chuckling often. The one time I thought my head might explode was explaining the types of blood, but when the information was required, a quick summary of what you need at the time was included without taking away from the flow of the story. It also helped having a nice little spreadsheet (I love a sexy spreadsheet) at the back for reference.
I adored the relationships between Talia and her mother. Amusing and relatable. I also loved how the author tied things up full circle in the end, except of course for the things that will get me reading the second book ASAP.
I adored the relationships between Talia and her mother. Amusing and relatable. I also loved how the author tied things up full circle in the end, except of course for the things that will get me reading the second book ASAP.
August 7, 2022
I'm NOT an Urban Fantasy / Contemporary Fantasy reader. I try, and I do have a couple of favorite authors that I will always buy in this category, but really, I avoid this genre. I don't know why. Maybe because I feel like it's kind of hard to nail it. But I was seeing this book EVERYWHERE. I had heard nothing but rave reviews, especially from author friends that have read it. So, on a weekend that my husband was out of town and I didn't have much to do, why the heck not? Boy was I sucked up into an unputdownable experience! What a ridiculously fun ride this book was! It literally had EVERYTHING you could want!
-Hilarious inner dialogue from FMC
-Animal sidekick you fall in love with
-Secrets to weasel out
-Twists you don't see coming
-Scenery that makes you wish the Fae Realm was real
-Completely unique magical system (bonus points for the classification chart at the end of the book)
-Glossary (I'm woefully lacking in my Yiddish / Polish / Jewish wording, this was really cool!)
-Hilarious Jewish mother (for real, can I adopt her? Is that a thing?)
-MMC that is all the right amount of things. Sort of broody, ultimate protector, handsome AF, powerful (I don't think we've even tapped the froth at the top of the beer when it comes to this) and pretty intelligent
-Tattoos!
I ended up experiencing all emotions in the wide spectrum of emoting. I didn't expect the heart that was at the center of the story, and I didn't expect to fall in love with Talia, but damnit, you can't help but wish she was your real life friend!
I really appreciated how the book ended in a good place to give you satisfaction to questions that were brewing throughout the book, but leaves you beyond excited for the next book. Because there is still SO much at stake. And I have a feeling we're about to be land-blasted in the face with things we had no idea were coming.
PS. Best first chapter for book 2 ever haha! (You can go find this on Rachel's website if you're a true book stalker like I am.)
-Hilarious inner dialogue from FMC
-Animal sidekick you fall in love with
-Secrets to weasel out
-Twists you don't see coming
-Scenery that makes you wish the Fae Realm was real
-Completely unique magical system (bonus points for the classification chart at the end of the book)
-Glossary (I'm woefully lacking in my Yiddish / Polish / Jewish wording, this was really cool!)
-Hilarious Jewish mother (for real, can I adopt her? Is that a thing?)
-MMC that is all the right amount of things. Sort of broody, ultimate protector, handsome AF, powerful (I don't think we've even tapped the froth at the top of the beer when it comes to this) and pretty intelligent
-Tattoos!
I ended up experiencing all emotions in the wide spectrum of emoting. I didn't expect the heart that was at the center of the story, and I didn't expect to fall in love with Talia, but damnit, you can't help but wish she was your real life friend!
I really appreciated how the book ended in a good place to give you satisfaction to questions that were brewing throughout the book, but leaves you beyond excited for the next book. Because there is still SO much at stake. And I have a feeling we're about to be land-blasted in the face with things we had no idea were coming.
PS. Best first chapter for book 2 ever haha! (You can go find this on Rachel's website if you're a true book stalker like I am.)
September 25, 2023
i loved this book!!
it was super funny, really entertaining and an easy, light read, and the characters were so cool. our fmc is a bit of a hot mess but in such a fun way, and her mother is just hilarious. and i was continually swooning over the mmc, he's such a damn sweetheart!!
definitely recommended for my urban fantasy lovers :)
it was super funny, really entertaining and an easy, light read, and the characters were so cool. our fmc is a bit of a hot mess but in such a fun way, and her mother is just hilarious. and i was continually swooning over the mmc, he's such a damn sweetheart!!
definitely recommended for my urban fantasy lovers :)
January 19, 2023
While the third book in this series just came out, I finally started with this book I honestly heard only positive things about. Everybody, I present Inked!
I need to make a confession right at the beginning: I had my eyes on the special edition of Inked (go see Rachel Rener's shop and check it out) for quite a while now, because it simply looks amazing, Rachel herself has done all the interior artwork which for someone like me (I call it "artistically challenged") is nothing short of a miracle and it has this wonderful idea about magically infused tattoos – and I have quite a thing for this type of body-adornment. But I was a little cautious, because I did not want to read something that to me sounded a lot like urban fantasy romance. But all these wonderful reviews, those hilarious one star-reviews Rachel likes to post every once in a while and the fact that I adore The little Morsel finally convinced me to finally give Inked a try.
And yes, it most definitely does have romance. And steam. Both of which I don’t mind, but also don’t necessarily need. But both aspects are very well done and are not the entire focus of the story.
So, what is the story about, you ask? In a nutshell, for me it was finding one’s place und purpose.
Talia is our MC and voice of the entire story. She constantly worries about pretty much everything, but especially her choices in particular situations and life in general. She seems insecure and somewhat lonely. Talia works as a tattoo-artist (not tattooed herself, because she doesn’t like needles) with/for her boss Zayn who one day does not show up for work. She continues her current job on a client but runs out of ink right before finishing the tattoo. So, Talia gets the special ink Zayn keeps locked in his office, even though she is expressly forbidden to use it, finishes the tattoo with these vibrant colours – and then said tattoo comes to life. First, I really like this idea of a tattoo coming to life in general, but that it was, second, a butt-cobra?! Freaking love it. If by that point I had needed an extra reason to continue, this would have been more than enough.
Talia then goes looking for Zayn. In the process, not only does she end up in the fae realm through a portal (again: brilliant), she also learns that her boss is a fae himself, an inbucus (one reason for the aforementioned steam) who needs her help. But even more important is Talia's discovery that she might have some non-human blood herself, too. And she in return needs Zayn’s help to deal with this.
On top of that, Talia has one of the coolest side-kicks ever with her – Biscuit, a (tattoo-)parrot. He (?) and Talia’s mother are the secret stars of this book for me. Her mother does not actually have that much page-time, but is a constant presence in Talia’s thoughts (and on her phone).
This book is pure entertainment! There was not a single boring moment, Rachel Rener knows how to keep her readers glued to the book and go through all the emotions. I guess “gripping” is the right word for this. The worldbuilding is intriguing and Rachel had some truly unique ideas in this regard: How the magic works, how different more or less known fantasy species are portrayed, even the importance of colours,…
I’ll definitely continue the series and yes, I will finally buy that beautiful special edition.
I need to make a confession right at the beginning: I had my eyes on the special edition of Inked (go see Rachel Rener's shop and check it out) for quite a while now, because it simply looks amazing, Rachel herself has done all the interior artwork which for someone like me (I call it "artistically challenged") is nothing short of a miracle and it has this wonderful idea about magically infused tattoos – and I have quite a thing for this type of body-adornment. But I was a little cautious, because I did not want to read something that to me sounded a lot like urban fantasy romance. But all these wonderful reviews, those hilarious one star-reviews Rachel likes to post every once in a while and the fact that I adore The little Morsel finally convinced me to finally give Inked a try.
And yes, it most definitely does have romance. And steam. Both of which I don’t mind, but also don’t necessarily need. But both aspects are very well done and are not the entire focus of the story.
So, what is the story about, you ask? In a nutshell, for me it was finding one’s place und purpose.
Talia is our MC and voice of the entire story. She constantly worries about pretty much everything, but especially her choices in particular situations and life in general. She seems insecure and somewhat lonely. Talia works as a tattoo-artist (not tattooed herself, because she doesn’t like needles) with/for her boss Zayn who one day does not show up for work. She continues her current job on a client but runs out of ink right before finishing the tattoo. So, Talia gets the special ink Zayn keeps locked in his office, even though she is expressly forbidden to use it, finishes the tattoo with these vibrant colours – and then said tattoo comes to life. First, I really like this idea of a tattoo coming to life in general, but that it was, second, a butt-cobra?! Freaking love it. If by that point I had needed an extra reason to continue, this would have been more than enough.
Talia then goes looking for Zayn. In the process, not only does she end up in the fae realm through a portal (again: brilliant), she also learns that her boss is a fae himself, an inbucus (one reason for the aforementioned steam) who needs her help. But even more important is Talia's discovery that she might have some non-human blood herself, too. And she in return needs Zayn’s help to deal with this.
On top of that, Talia has one of the coolest side-kicks ever with her – Biscuit, a (tattoo-)parrot. He (?) and Talia’s mother are the secret stars of this book for me. Her mother does not actually have that much page-time, but is a constant presence in Talia’s thoughts (and on her phone).
This book is pure entertainment! There was not a single boring moment, Rachel Rener knows how to keep her readers glued to the book and go through all the emotions. I guess “gripping” is the right word for this. The worldbuilding is intriguing and Rachel had some truly unique ideas in this regard: How the magic works, how different more or less known fantasy species are portrayed, even the importance of colours,…
I’ll definitely continue the series and yes, I will finally buy that beautiful special edition.
April 11, 2024
The FMC was so annoying and I really don’t think the Jewish tropes added anything to this book. Firstly, some were blatantly untrue and secondly, if she wanted the mother to be neurotic she could’ve been neurotic without determining it to be due to her religion/culture/race.
July 18, 2022
Attention Skeptics!
Ok everyone…this book has so many amazing reviews out there…so many that I was a bit skeptical about how good a book it would be. Also, incubus? Really? I was having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea.
So, for all those Skeptics out there, like me, I have to say I WAS WRONG! Inked was a fantastic novel that I just couldn’t put down! I’ve read a lot of books so far this summer, but I can honestly say this was one of my absolute favorites.
This novel has pretty much everything.
Gorgeous Male Lead ✅
A fun, relatable MC✅
A creative and engaging plot✅
Tons of fantastic creatures✅
Well written, honest romance ✅
Humor✅
So…what’s this story about?
Well, Talia is an art school drop out that finds herself working at a tattoo parlor, where her gorgeous boss pays her too much money, oh and did I mention she is afraid of needles. Aforementioned tattoo parlor has a lot of weird and strange customers, but hey, it’s a tattoo parlor so Talia goes with it. Then one fateful day Talia runs out of light brown ink and said gorgeous boss is away for the day. So, although she has been warned not to use it, she commandeers some of the “expensive” ink from her bosses stash. That is where the giant cobra/rattlesnake butt tattoo takes a scary hilarious turn and decides to come to life! This is when Talia begins to realize that this isn’t just an ordinary tattoo parlor, that isn’t just expensive ink (although it was also expensive) and her boss isn’t just a gorgeous tattoo artist. And that is where the adventure begins.
So, the story does revolve around an incubus and so there are some steamy and sometimes way more than steamy interactions but they are very well written and tasteful. There wasn’t just a lot of random sex scenes, they were integral to the overall story.
My favorite character was Zayn, aforementioned gorgeous boss and incubus. I mean, if you are going to write a story about a sex demon, this is how you do it! I loved his inner turmoil, which drevelopped and molded him into such a sweet and un-incubus-like character. He was perfectly written!
All in all, if you haven’t read this book yet, READ IT! I know what you are thinking, but IT IS THAT GOOD! And this INCUBUS is a fabulous character.
Oh yeah, and when is book 2 being released?!
Ok everyone…this book has so many amazing reviews out there…so many that I was a bit skeptical about how good a book it would be. Also, incubus? Really? I was having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea.
So, for all those Skeptics out there, like me, I have to say I WAS WRONG! Inked was a fantastic novel that I just couldn’t put down! I’ve read a lot of books so far this summer, but I can honestly say this was one of my absolute favorites.
This novel has pretty much everything.
Gorgeous Male Lead ✅
A fun, relatable MC✅
A creative and engaging plot✅
Tons of fantastic creatures✅
Well written, honest romance ✅
Humor✅
So…what’s this story about?
Well, Talia is an art school drop out that finds herself working at a tattoo parlor, where her gorgeous boss pays her too much money, oh and did I mention she is afraid of needles. Aforementioned tattoo parlor has a lot of weird and strange customers, but hey, it’s a tattoo parlor so Talia goes with it. Then one fateful day Talia runs out of light brown ink and said gorgeous boss is away for the day. So, although she has been warned not to use it, she commandeers some of the “expensive” ink from her bosses stash. That is where the giant cobra/rattlesnake butt tattoo takes a scary hilarious turn and decides to come to life! This is when Talia begins to realize that this isn’t just an ordinary tattoo parlor, that isn’t just expensive ink (although it was also expensive) and her boss isn’t just a gorgeous tattoo artist. And that is where the adventure begins.
So, the story does revolve around an incubus and so there are some steamy and sometimes way more than steamy interactions but they are very well written and tasteful. There wasn’t just a lot of random sex scenes, they were integral to the overall story.
My favorite character was Zayn, aforementioned gorgeous boss and incubus. I mean, if you are going to write a story about a sex demon, this is how you do it! I loved his inner turmoil, which drevelopped and molded him into such a sweet and un-incubus-like character. He was perfectly written!
All in all, if you haven’t read this book yet, READ IT! I know what you are thinking, but IT IS THAT GOOD! And this INCUBUS is a fabulous character.
Oh yeah, and when is book 2 being released?!
March 8, 2022
Let me tell you, some people's imaginations are exquisite. I wish I had a tenth of the imagination of this author. This author does an amazing job of taking rare life facts and twisting them into a magical fantasy story. Did you know that RH null is a real and very rare blood type called golden blood? So I mean for all I know this is a true story!
Anyway, this book...I hate cliff hangers. This book does not technically have a cliff hanger, it has a "to be continued" which is dangerously close to a cliff hanger. Luckily for me it isn't technically a cliff hanger because I might have had to rate it lower. This does have a decent wrap up of the story but absolutely leaves you needing more and waiting ever so impatiently for the next book. (Luckily for those who need to know, according to my search we only have to wait until fall of '22 for the next book.
Ok, so what the heck is the book about. We meet Talia who is a tattoo artist with a needle phobia. At the time that we meet Talia, we find out that her boss, Zayne, is mysteriously missing. This is very abnormal for him and Talia is a little nervous when she can't reach him via his cell phone either. Either way, she goes on with her scheduled tattoo for the day which is a scary viper/rattlesnake reimagining. Well, as you can imagine, something has to go wrong and Talia runs out of ink to finish the tattoo. Well luckily for her, Zayne keeps a secret stash of special inks locked up in his office. He won't notice if she sneaks just a little bit just to finish off the tattoo. Well...as you can guess, he's going to notice because the tattoo decides to come to life right off the rear-end of her client. And thus is the beginning of Talia learning that there is a whole nother world/dimension that she didn't know about. We then follow Talia on her journey to discover this world and find her boss Zayne in the process.
So, you ask yourself, how do you know this book is for you? Let me ask a series of questions and we'll find out together. Do you like hot guys with tattoos? Yes, then this book is for you. Do you like adventure? Yes, then this book is for you. Do you like incubus, mermaids, vampires, sirens, banshees and other mythical creatures? Yes? Then this book is for you. But most importantly, do you love highly neurotic, anxiety ridden traditional Jewish mothers? If so, then this book is so for you.
This was a great, hilarious fantasy book full of chaos, tension and suspense. I highly recommend you check it out!
** I received this book as an ARC from the author. This is an honest review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. **
Anyway, this book...I hate cliff hangers. This book does not technically have a cliff hanger, it has a "to be continued" which is dangerously close to a cliff hanger. Luckily for me it isn't technically a cliff hanger because I might have had to rate it lower. This does have a decent wrap up of the story but absolutely leaves you needing more and waiting ever so impatiently for the next book. (Luckily for those who need to know, according to my search we only have to wait until fall of '22 for the next book.
Ok, so what the heck is the book about. We meet Talia who is a tattoo artist with a needle phobia. At the time that we meet Talia, we find out that her boss, Zayne, is mysteriously missing. This is very abnormal for him and Talia is a little nervous when she can't reach him via his cell phone either. Either way, she goes on with her scheduled tattoo for the day which is a scary viper/rattlesnake reimagining. Well, as you can imagine, something has to go wrong and Talia runs out of ink to finish the tattoo. Well luckily for her, Zayne keeps a secret stash of special inks locked up in his office. He won't notice if she sneaks just a little bit just to finish off the tattoo. Well...as you can guess, he's going to notice because the tattoo decides to come to life right off the rear-end of her client. And thus is the beginning of Talia learning that there is a whole nother world/dimension that she didn't know about. We then follow Talia on her journey to discover this world and find her boss Zayne in the process.
So, you ask yourself, how do you know this book is for you? Let me ask a series of questions and we'll find out together. Do you like hot guys with tattoos? Yes, then this book is for you. Do you like adventure? Yes, then this book is for you. Do you like incubus, mermaids, vampires, sirens, banshees and other mythical creatures? Yes? Then this book is for you. But most importantly, do you love highly neurotic, anxiety ridden traditional Jewish mothers? If so, then this book is so for you.
This was a great, hilarious fantasy book full of chaos, tension and suspense. I highly recommend you check it out!
** I received this book as an ARC from the author. This is an honest review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. **
July 12, 2022
Okay, so you've heard all about the hilarious mom, sexy boss, and adorable familiar, Biscuit. So I won't go over that here. What else blew me away about this book?
-Deep characters with the BEST interactions!
-Many crazy, unique creatures. I mean, who's ever heard of a blaistig (If I am remembering how to spell it correctly? lol) before? As well as other creatures you may recognize- satyr, mermaids and sirens, banshee, incubi and succubi.
-Character growth (halfway through the book I was screaming at Talia to stop being so dumb- just listen to Zayn so you don't die, gosh dang it, and stop screaming at EVERYTHING!- but by the end, I feel she improved, and I loved to see it.) The only thing better than a strong character is a character who learns to be strong!
-*THIS MAY BE SPOILER-Y* I was expecting more of a slow-burn with Talia and Zayn's relationship, so that ending had me SQUEALING with all the happy feels!
-The magic system is amazingly unique- but makes sense (in a way that's still a little hard for me to follow, but Rachel does an AMAZING job explaining it more than once and in different ways without slowing down the book with it). I love that magical abilities relate to blood types! So cool! And that there are different magical abilities in the first place.
-Biscuit, of course, but also knowing how he was created- especially with that twist ending! (Halelujah!!)
-Zayn has the biggest heart, I just wanna hug away all that pain he has buried!! Poor baby!
Anyway, basically this book is perfection.
~~~
What I didn't like:
Just how much she screamed at everything. It kinda made it feel like she had zero self-preservation with how much she did it, even knowing that doing so would get her killed? That felt a little unrealistic to me, but after thinking about it a bit, I had to concede that Talia just is different than I am, and that's fine. To be fair, I do know more than one girl who would react the same way to everything, screaming her head off despite it being very idiotic to do so lol.
Otherwise, loved her character and everything else 🙂 Very much a 5-star read ❤
-Deep characters with the BEST interactions!
-Many crazy, unique creatures. I mean, who's ever heard of a blaistig (If I am remembering how to spell it correctly? lol) before? As well as other creatures you may recognize- satyr, mermaids and sirens, banshee, incubi and succubi.
-Character growth (halfway through the book I was screaming at Talia to stop being so dumb- just listen to Zayn so you don't die, gosh dang it, and stop screaming at EVERYTHING!- but by the end, I feel she improved, and I loved to see it.) The only thing better than a strong character is a character who learns to be strong!
-*THIS MAY BE SPOILER-Y* I was expecting more of a slow-burn with Talia and Zayn's relationship, so that ending had me SQUEALING with all the happy feels!
-The magic system is amazingly unique- but makes sense (in a way that's still a little hard for me to follow, but Rachel does an AMAZING job explaining it more than once and in different ways without slowing down the book with it). I love that magical abilities relate to blood types! So cool! And that there are different magical abilities in the first place.
-Biscuit, of course, but also knowing how he was created- especially with that twist ending! (Halelujah!!)
-Zayn has the biggest heart, I just wanna hug away all that pain he has buried!! Poor baby!
Anyway, basically this book is perfection.
~~~
What I didn't like:
Just how much she screamed at everything. It kinda made it feel like she had zero self-preservation with how much she did it, even knowing that doing so would get her killed? That felt a little unrealistic to me, but after thinking about it a bit, I had to concede that Talia just is different than I am, and that's fine. To be fair, I do know more than one girl who would react the same way to everything, screaming her head off despite it being very idiotic to do so lol.
Otherwise, loved her character and everything else 🙂 Very much a 5-star read ❤
July 19, 2023
Ok, I'm going to make a HUGE reminder to myself, never ever to get a tattoo done unless it's completely benign, like a flower.... I love the world Rachel has invented, the "real" world as well as the Fae Realm, I could most definitely live there, minus tattoos of course...Talia is a character I completely fell in love with the moment I started reading, she's such a mensch! Fierce, loyal, loving, independent and trying to keep her very Jewish mama from embarrassing her, not that she successful on that front!There is nothing funnier than a Yiddisha mama, Talia's mom is the very epitome of "Oy vey!". I'm not Jewish but I lived my entire life in predominantly Jewish neighbourhoods, so I can definitely understand and relate! Been there, seen it, heard it! Absolutely had me laughing out loud! When a series of weird happening have Talia's world turned on its head, literally, Talia is catapulted into the bizarre, where she doesn't seem to understand the term "curiously killed the cat!" And Zayn is left picking up the tally of her oops'. Now there's an awesome character, technically Talia's boss but oh so much more! I loved his sense of honour, even at times, to the detriment of his very existence! This fast paced book got more and more exciting the longer I was reading it, all imaginable creatures surface and Talia's reactions are priceless! The biggest surprise for me was Dee Dee, who would have thought! I loved every single minute of this book, adventure abounds, mystery unfolds, magic is abundant, schemes are discovered, in fact, everything one could wish for is in this book! I'll be waiting for book 2 with baited breath
August 14, 2024
Urban fantasy is not a genre I often read because it’s a hard sell for me but I’ve heard such great things about this series and the special edition that came out on Kickstarter was so gorgeous that I just had to give it a try after seeing all the marketing for it. Magic ink, magical creatures, and an obvious sense of humor in the description pulled me right in (which is weird since humor is something that is difficult for me to like in books).
While I still can’t say that urban fantasy is my first choice for reading, the storyline of this one was fun to follow and the secondary world is where I really enjoyed myself. It was interesting to learn about and I liked the magical creatures especially. I also thought the humor worked well for these characters.
The book was nominated for Side Character MVP in the Indie Ink Awards and while it wasn’t specified which character was meant, I’m choosing to believe that Biscuit was the one because I loved him. He wasn’t mentioned in the description so I won’t go into too much detail to avoid spoiling things. Talia’s mom, too, was a hilarious side character that really added to the fun of the story.
The plot sometimes didn’t go into enough detail in some places and felt a little too loose in others, and I got really frustrated with the MC here and there, but overall it was a good story that was enjoyable and I’ll be continuing with the series. I liked the background we got on Zayn and Talia’s mom and I’m eager to find out more.
While I still can’t say that urban fantasy is my first choice for reading, the storyline of this one was fun to follow and the secondary world is where I really enjoyed myself. It was interesting to learn about and I liked the magical creatures especially. I also thought the humor worked well for these characters.
The book was nominated for Side Character MVP in the Indie Ink Awards and while it wasn’t specified which character was meant, I’m choosing to believe that Biscuit was the one because I loved him. He wasn’t mentioned in the description so I won’t go into too much detail to avoid spoiling things. Talia’s mom, too, was a hilarious side character that really added to the fun of the story.
The plot sometimes didn’t go into enough detail in some places and felt a little too loose in others, and I got really frustrated with the MC here and there, but overall it was a good story that was enjoyable and I’ll be continuing with the series. I liked the background we got on Zayn and Talia’s mom and I’m eager to find out more.
March 16, 2022
I received this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review.
this book is brilliant.
1. Talia wears her heart on her sleeve and is thrown forcefully (and literally glowing) into the fae dimension by...
2. The show stealing parroting, Biscuit, who steals heart and soul and makes you laugh and cry, not in small part bc he's a part of...
3. Zayne. The hot, boss. A good man who is also an incubus, cursed by ink...
4. So now Talia must stop glowing, help zayne and avoid her...
5. Mother's wrath and phone calls.
The story is amazing. The humor is perfect. In particular, the Jewish, Yiddish cursing mother reminded me so much of my own nana. It was beautiful and hilarious and just absolutely the best part of this book.
I can't recommend this book enough. I have loved Rachel's work before, but this is perhaps, if possible, even better than those masterpieces.
A true knock out of the park.
this book is brilliant.
1. Talia wears her heart on her sleeve and is thrown forcefully (and literally glowing) into the fae dimension by...
2. The show stealing parroting, Biscuit, who steals heart and soul and makes you laugh and cry, not in small part bc he's a part of...
3. Zayne. The hot, boss. A good man who is also an incubus, cursed by ink...
4. So now Talia must stop glowing, help zayne and avoid her...
5. Mother's wrath and phone calls.
The story is amazing. The humor is perfect. In particular, the Jewish, Yiddish cursing mother reminded me so much of my own nana. It was beautiful and hilarious and just absolutely the best part of this book.
I can't recommend this book enough. I have loved Rachel's work before, but this is perhaps, if possible, even better than those masterpieces.
A true knock out of the park.
September 8, 2022
An Amazing Journey!
Meet Talia, tattoo artist, quirky and lovable. And Zayn, her boss, hot, hot, hot and mysterious! One time Talia run out of ink during a tattoo job. Her boss is not around so she breaks into his office to get some of his ink. This is ink she should not touch much less use on a person. You guessed it, All Hell Breaks loose!!! In this fast paced sometimes zany story expect the unexpected. Like, an unexpected journey to the Fae realm, magic ink, magic creatures, mystery, danger, humor, with twists and turns. Did I mention romance? Be rested when you start reading this roller coaster ride because you'll need it!!!
Meet Talia, tattoo artist, quirky and lovable. And Zayn, her boss, hot, hot, hot and mysterious! One time Talia run out of ink during a tattoo job. Her boss is not around so she breaks into his office to get some of his ink. This is ink she should not touch much less use on a person. You guessed it, All Hell Breaks loose!!! In this fast paced sometimes zany story expect the unexpected. Like, an unexpected journey to the Fae realm, magic ink, magic creatures, mystery, danger, humor, with twists and turns. Did I mention romance? Be rested when you start reading this roller coaster ride because you'll need it!!!
June 1, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5
This series happened to pop up in one of the Facebook readers groups I'm a part of, and after seeing its gorgeous cover, it compelled me to pick up this book. My goodness, this book is hilarious! Inked is a fantasy romance read filled with runes/tattoos, ruthless fae (equivalent to the mafia), humour and a good plot.
For the majority of the book, I was unable to stop myself from laughing out loud, it got to the point where I had tears leaking down my face. Hence, it made me stay up until late just to finish the audiobook. Personally, at times, the narrator did slightly exaggerate/overact (sometimes it distracted me from the plot) their performance. Nevertheless, the narrator brought Talia's (FMC) and her mother's character to life amazingly; it was still an enjoyable experience, to say the least.
It was a pleasant surprise when I saw that Rachel Rener included a Yiddish glossary explaining the meaning of the expressions/words that Dee Dee (Talia's mum) used. Talia's mother is a character for sure! She is proud, overprotective, dramatic, loud and funny; Dee Dee added flavour to this book. Their dialogues and Dee Dee's antics had me howling 🤣 Saying inappropriate things, she most certainly embarrassed Talia quite a few times.
Talia is an art student dropout turned tattoo artist. Oh! She also has Trypanophobia (fear of needles), but thankfully, her phobia doesn't get in the way when she's tattooing her clients. Working on her latest client, Talia runs out of ink, but the ink she needs is out.
Desperate times call for desperate measures; Talia did the only "reasonable" thing she could do: breaking into her boss' office, she grabbed his ink, however, Talia is prohibited from using Zayn’s (MMC) ink. I mean, Talia only needs a little bit of ink, no harm, right? Or so she thought. Talia had no idea that Zayn’s ink, the simmering vials, was no ordinary ink. Talia has a big problem; the snake she tattooed is suddenly real and alive, and her handsome boss is MIA.
Worried about Zayn, Talia is on a quest to find him. With her new friend Biscuit (Zayn's familiar), Talia lands in another realm, where she discovers that Zayn isn't human: he's a fae, an incubus. Grappling with the information about her boss, the fae and its magical realm and, more importantly, herself. Talia is a hot commodity amongst fae, she has "golden blood", pure magic is running through her veins. And like a huge neon sight, pointing directly at her and making everyone well aware, Talia has a noticeable glow.
Talia and Zayn might have a comfortable relationship, but Talia for a while, thought her feelings were one-sided. Due to his nature, Zayn wants to protect her; he's afraid that he will accidentally harm her. Their journey to the fae realm wasn't easy, especially when they were racing against time. With all its vibrancy, colours and creatures, Talia adapted well, (she survived dangerous, life-threatening situations) and, she's determined not to let Zayn down. Can't wait to start book 2!
What to expect:
- Series
- Fantasy
- Workplace
- Boss/incubus MMC
- A trypanophobia tattoo artist FMC
- Mentions of loss of a loved one and grief
This series happened to pop up in one of the Facebook readers groups I'm a part of, and after seeing its gorgeous cover, it compelled me to pick up this book. My goodness, this book is hilarious! Inked is a fantasy romance read filled with runes/tattoos, ruthless fae (equivalent to the mafia), humour and a good plot.
For the majority of the book, I was unable to stop myself from laughing out loud, it got to the point where I had tears leaking down my face. Hence, it made me stay up until late just to finish the audiobook. Personally, at times, the narrator did slightly exaggerate/overact (sometimes it distracted me from the plot) their performance. Nevertheless, the narrator brought Talia's (FMC) and her mother's character to life amazingly; it was still an enjoyable experience, to say the least.
It was a pleasant surprise when I saw that Rachel Rener included a Yiddish glossary explaining the meaning of the expressions/words that Dee Dee (Talia's mum) used. Talia's mother is a character for sure! She is proud, overprotective, dramatic, loud and funny; Dee Dee added flavour to this book. Their dialogues and Dee Dee's antics had me howling 🤣 Saying inappropriate things, she most certainly embarrassed Talia quite a few times.
Talia is an art student dropout turned tattoo artist. Oh! She also has Trypanophobia (fear of needles), but thankfully, her phobia doesn't get in the way when she's tattooing her clients. Working on her latest client, Talia runs out of ink, but the ink she needs is out.
Desperate times call for desperate measures; Talia did the only "reasonable" thing she could do: breaking into her boss' office, she grabbed his ink, however, Talia is prohibited from using Zayn’s (MMC) ink. I mean, Talia only needs a little bit of ink, no harm, right? Or so she thought. Talia had no idea that Zayn’s ink, the simmering vials, was no ordinary ink. Talia has a big problem; the snake she tattooed is suddenly real and alive, and her handsome boss is MIA.
Worried about Zayn, Talia is on a quest to find him. With her new friend Biscuit (Zayn's familiar), Talia lands in another realm, where she discovers that Zayn isn't human: he's a fae, an incubus. Grappling with the information about her boss, the fae and its magical realm and, more importantly, herself. Talia is a hot commodity amongst fae, she has "golden blood", pure magic is running through her veins. And like a huge neon sight, pointing directly at her and making everyone well aware, Talia has a noticeable glow.
Talia and Zayn might have a comfortable relationship, but Talia for a while, thought her feelings were one-sided. Due to his nature, Zayn wants to protect her; he's afraid that he will accidentally harm her. Their journey to the fae realm wasn't easy, especially when they were racing against time. With all its vibrancy, colours and creatures, Talia adapted well, (she survived dangerous, life-threatening situations) and, she's determined not to let Zayn down. Can't wait to start book 2!
What to expect:
- Series
- Fantasy
- Workplace
- Boss/incubus MMC
- A trypanophobia tattoo artist FMC
- Mentions of loss of a loved one and grief
March 4, 2022
This was such a delightful book to read, definitely a break from your standard fantasy type book.
Our story starts with Talia, the daughter of your typical Jewish mother. It all starts when Talia is in the tattoo shop, finishing the inking of a cobra, with a rattle as per her client's request. She runs out of the specific shade of ink needed, and raids her boss's private stash of ink. All goes well, until she has finished the tattoo. Her client then goes to use the facilities, but then screams out that there is a snake in the bathroom! The police are called, along with an ambulance. However, when giving her statement to the police, Talia asks about the snake tattoo, only the police say there was no tattoo...
With another day of not hearing from her boss, Zayn, Talia decides to go and check on him to make sure he is ok. When she arrives at his apartment, she can her someone calling for help, fearing Zayn is in trouble, Talia breaks the door down, only Zayn is not there. However, there is a brilliantly coloured bird, a cross between a rainbow coloured macaw and a bird-of-paradise. It seems the bird, Biscuit, was the one Talia heard. Biscuit is like no other bird she has ever seen, the colours of his plumage seem to be alive, whirling with myriad colours of the rainbow.
From here we descend into an adventure of epic proportions, where Talia has to travel to another realm to retrieve a special flower that will enable Zayn to create a tattoo that will stop her golden ink from glowing through her skin, highlighting to all how special she truly is.
Talia learns the true nature of Zayn and the awful burden he is carrying. While attempting to obtain the delphinium flowers, Talia encounters more unusual people than she ever thought existed. She manages to hold her own, even when trying to get away from Zayn, as his obligation to higher forces would prove to be an obstacle for even Talia.
Once back in the "real world" Talia even discovers something about her own mother. I an definitely looking forward to see what happens in the next instalment!!
Our story starts with Talia, the daughter of your typical Jewish mother. It all starts when Talia is in the tattoo shop, finishing the inking of a cobra, with a rattle as per her client's request. She runs out of the specific shade of ink needed, and raids her boss's private stash of ink. All goes well, until she has finished the tattoo. Her client then goes to use the facilities, but then screams out that there is a snake in the bathroom! The police are called, along with an ambulance. However, when giving her statement to the police, Talia asks about the snake tattoo, only the police say there was no tattoo...
With another day of not hearing from her boss, Zayn, Talia decides to go and check on him to make sure he is ok. When she arrives at his apartment, she can her someone calling for help, fearing Zayn is in trouble, Talia breaks the door down, only Zayn is not there. However, there is a brilliantly coloured bird, a cross between a rainbow coloured macaw and a bird-of-paradise. It seems the bird, Biscuit, was the one Talia heard. Biscuit is like no other bird she has ever seen, the colours of his plumage seem to be alive, whirling with myriad colours of the rainbow.
From here we descend into an adventure of epic proportions, where Talia has to travel to another realm to retrieve a special flower that will enable Zayn to create a tattoo that will stop her golden ink from glowing through her skin, highlighting to all how special she truly is.
Talia learns the true nature of Zayn and the awful burden he is carrying. While attempting to obtain the delphinium flowers, Talia encounters more unusual people than she ever thought existed. She manages to hold her own, even when trying to get away from Zayn, as his obligation to higher forces would prove to be an obstacle for even Talia.
Once back in the "real world" Talia even discovers something about her own mother. I an definitely looking forward to see what happens in the next instalment!!
March 31, 2022
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
WOW. OKAY. WOW. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH.
a fun, rollicking romp of a book that begins with a magical tattoo ink mishap, with great worldbuilding of a beguilingly beautiful world that belies blood and horror - a fae realm dripping in magic and vibrant life, but also somehow really real and raw and realistic and achingly human. there's such a fun, colourful cast of characters - like a rascally magical tattoo parrot, our 'incu-boss' Zayn, our glittering golden protagonist Talia, cursed sirens and beguiling murderous mermaids, naggy banshees, and other assorted cloven and furred creatures.
Talia, our protagonist, is strong-willed and smart, with a strong and fun-to-read voice - probably the perfect protagonist to take us along on this zany wacky ride of a magical adventure. and even though we soon find out she's special - she has gilded blood! - she is defiantly her own character with her own merits outside of that which makes her 'inherently special', and that's what makes her so so charming and compelling.
this book is such a great, solid introduction to the Fae world and introduces stakes that are sure to be ramped higher in the next book. thrill after thrill abounds, but it's also interspersed with the right amounts of magic and romance and witty quips - and when it's serious, it also hits those serious notes and emotional beats really well.
such a uniquely fun and gorgeous book that really captivated my attention (and Zayn is a strong, STRONG contender for new book boyfriend) that i'm so eager to read more of !!!!!
I CAN'T RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH PLEASE READ IT RIGHT NOW AND FALL IN LOVE WITH IT AND WITH RACHEL RENER'S WRITING PLEASE AND THANK YOU
WOW. OKAY. WOW. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH.
a fun, rollicking romp of a book that begins with a magical tattoo ink mishap, with great worldbuilding of a beguilingly beautiful world that belies blood and horror - a fae realm dripping in magic and vibrant life, but also somehow really real and raw and realistic and achingly human. there's such a fun, colourful cast of characters - like a rascally magical tattoo parrot, our 'incu-boss' Zayn, our glittering golden protagonist Talia, cursed sirens and beguiling murderous mermaids, naggy banshees, and other assorted cloven and furred creatures.
Talia, our protagonist, is strong-willed and smart, with a strong and fun-to-read voice - probably the perfect protagonist to take us along on this zany wacky ride of a magical adventure. and even though we soon find out she's special - she has gilded blood! - she is defiantly her own character with her own merits outside of that which makes her 'inherently special', and that's what makes her so so charming and compelling.
this book is such a great, solid introduction to the Fae world and introduces stakes that are sure to be ramped higher in the next book. thrill after thrill abounds, but it's also interspersed with the right amounts of magic and romance and witty quips - and when it's serious, it also hits those serious notes and emotional beats really well.
such a uniquely fun and gorgeous book that really captivated my attention (and Zayn is a strong, STRONG contender for new book boyfriend) that i'm so eager to read more of !!!!!
I CAN'T RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH PLEASE READ IT RIGHT NOW AND FALL IN LOVE WITH IT AND WITH RACHEL RENER'S WRITING PLEASE AND THANK YOU
September 10, 2022
I was curious about this book after all of the hype on the IFA Facebook page - an inter dimensional filing cabinet? A loveable bird companion/familiar named Biscuit? Tattoos coming to life? It all sounded very intriguing and I was really glad I decided to read it! Written from the perspective of Talia, a tattoo artist in modern day Miami with a hysterical Jewish mother, the story opens with a chapter entitled “Butt Cobras” and a description of Talia tattooing a bare-bottomed client with a cobra. Soon after the tattoo comes to life and attacks it’s owner. What a way to hook the reader in! It was an imaginative idea and paired with a portal to the fae realm wherein Talia and her hunky boss meet all kinds of monsters and creatures while collecting ingredients for magical inks it makes for a really entertaining and hard to put down story.
The characters are well written and Talia’s insecurities and self doubt were very recognizable. Her gorgeous boss, Zayn, just happens to be an incubus - but he is a moral incubus who hates his nature and tries to repress his urges.
There is plenty of peril, romance, runes, blood magic, a gangster-like family and lots of loose ends left open to entice the reader to continue the series with the sequel, Jinxed, which I will definitely read soon!
The characters are well written and Talia’s insecurities and self doubt were very recognizable. Her gorgeous boss, Zayn, just happens to be an incubus - but he is a moral incubus who hates his nature and tries to repress his urges.
There is plenty of peril, romance, runes, blood magic, a gangster-like family and lots of loose ends left open to entice the reader to continue the series with the sequel, Jinxed, which I will definitely read soon!
July 18, 2023
This book was utterly delightful. I was a bit hesitant at first because I haven’t read an entire series centered around one character in a while but I found that once I started the book I quite literally couldn’t stop. I’m talking sitting the same position with a full bladder for an undetermined amount of time until I was forced by my own body to put the book down and do something about it.
I loved Talia. I haven’t found a character in a hot minute that was so wholesome in her bewilderment and absolutely hilarious. I loved reading from her point of view because the way she would string together thoughts was very satisfying. I loved Biscuit and Zayn as well as her bonkers Mom.
Something that really worked for this book was how 3 or 4 days was explored throughout its entirety. It felt natural and not at all rushed and it’s refreshing to see and entire series that takes place over 7 days.
I loved Talia. I haven’t found a character in a hot minute that was so wholesome in her bewilderment and absolutely hilarious. I loved reading from her point of view because the way she would string together thoughts was very satisfying. I loved Biscuit and Zayn as well as her bonkers Mom.
Something that really worked for this book was how 3 or 4 days was explored throughout its entirety. It felt natural and not at all rushed and it’s refreshing to see and entire series that takes place over 7 days.
February 5, 2023
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!
I stumbled upon this book by accident, the blurb seemed promising but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good.
First of all, this is one of the very few authors that I’ve read in a long while that writes proper English! I know this is going to spark a lot of reactions and negative comments and such, but Rachel Rener writes as if English was not her native language. You know how foreigners learn and write, following all the grammatical rules etc?
Rachel Rener actually uses a rich vocabulary comprising more than 3 expressions! (gasp!)
Correct grammar! (double gasp!!)
Proper sentence syntax! (OMG!!!)
And juiciest cherry on top, the book has actually BEEN edited/proof-read!! I HAVE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN…
Once the haters have calmed down… now to the contents:
The premise was very interesting and appealing, and didn't sound like an overused and abused trope.
Characters were likable, funny; I have a special fondness for the Jewish mom LOL
Steam level was high without being over; we could feel the heat and tension building although there were not a lot of descriptive sex scenes.
Book 1 didn’t end on a cliffhanger yet managed to keep me hooked to know how the future will unfold, and enough to be eager to start the next instalment in the series.
I stumbled upon this book by accident, the blurb seemed promising but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good.
First of all, this is one of the very few authors that I’ve read in a long while that writes proper English! I know this is going to spark a lot of reactions and negative comments and such, but Rachel Rener writes as if English was not her native language. You know how foreigners learn and write, following all the grammatical rules etc?
Rachel Rener actually uses a rich vocabulary comprising more than 3 expressions! (gasp!)
Correct grammar! (double gasp!!)
Proper sentence syntax! (OMG!!!)
And juiciest cherry on top, the book has actually BEEN edited/proof-read!! I HAVE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN…
Once the haters have calmed down… now to the contents:
The premise was very interesting and appealing, and didn't sound like an overused and abused trope.
Characters were likable, funny; I have a special fondness for the Jewish mom LOL
Steam level was high without being over; we could feel the heat and tension building although there were not a lot of descriptive sex scenes.
Book 1 didn’t end on a cliffhanger yet managed to keep me hooked to know how the future will unfold, and enough to be eager to start the next instalment in the series.
January 28, 2025
DNF at 50% cause this writing has me gagging 😭 the way these “sexually charged” scenes are being written is so so so cringe and I can’t do it anymore.
The FMC is also SO DAMN THIRSTY for this guy who is being written as the love interest even when he says NO NO NO. Like girl he left u high and dry the first time and tells you no three more times and still u persist on rubbing yourself against him over and over again. Are you ok? Where is ur self respect? If a guy did this to a girl, we’d call it something else.
Also some of the comments on bisexuality has me side eyeing the text.
I did like the Jewish culture and the premise of magical tattoos coming to life but everything else 😭😭😭😭
The FMC is also SO DAMN THIRSTY for this guy who is being written as the love interest even when he says NO NO NO. Like girl he left u high and dry the first time and tells you no three more times and still u persist on rubbing yourself against him over and over again. Are you ok? Where is ur self respect? If a guy did this to a girl, we’d call it something else.
Also some of the comments on bisexuality has me side eyeing the text.
I did like the Jewish culture and the premise of magical tattoos coming to life but everything else 😭😭😭😭
August 2, 2024
Audible re-read 2024: My re-read quest continues and I'm getting through previously read series that I never finished at a decent pace. This was just as good in audio form as it was in print form, both easy to listen to and genuinely funny at times. I did have to be very careful to make sure my headphones were absolutely connected to my phone though, as this is absolutely not safe for work at times. The characters are well depicted and the narrator, Tara Novie, does a good job of depicting tone and emotion throughout. Parts were a tad high pitched and squeaky, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel. Biscuit is still the absolute star of the show if anyone is wondering. I want to kidnap him and feed him almonds forever.
Inked isn't a book that I would have normally picked up. Normally the mere mention of incubi and succubae would put me off almost instantly. However, having recently read and adored The Lightning Conjuror series by Rachel Rener, I was willing to give this a shot. I'm glad I did. This is definitely rather less 'safe for work' than The Lightning Conjurer series right off the bat, but the characters and the narrative are very, very good indeed. I started it late evening and finished it by 11pm the same day.
The characters are both hilarious and excellently realised. I absolutely adored Talia and her phone conversations with her mother are hilarious. When she unexpectedly runs out of ink, what seems like a simple decision to take some of her bosses special ink turns into an all out catastrophe with a live tattoo snake and a trip into a parallel Fae world filled with more deadly fauna, flora and intelligent fae than you could shake a stick at. And also some unnerving discoveries about her own background...
The descriptions of the fae world are fantastic; there are a lot of fae style creatures on display here, and most of them have slightly different spins on them, making it an interesting take on standard fantasy lore. There are rich descriptions of the fae world, yet these never slow down the pace of the novel and the way Talia and Zayn deal with these challenges is used to add to the character development and world building. The use of blood types as a basis for the magic system is something that I have never seen before and found absolutely fantastic. It's innovative, interesting and as far as I've seen, fairly unique.
All in all, this is a humorous yet brilliantly written fantasy tale. The characters leap off the page - particularly Biscuit! It does have a couple of very explicit sexual scenes, so be aware of that before you go in, however they are used well within the narrative and felt natural rather than forced. Perhaps it helps that one of the main characters is an incubus... Either way, I thoroughly recommend.
Inked isn't a book that I would have normally picked up. Normally the mere mention of incubi and succubae would put me off almost instantly. However, having recently read and adored The Lightning Conjuror series by Rachel Rener, I was willing to give this a shot. I'm glad I did. This is definitely rather less 'safe for work' than The Lightning Conjurer series right off the bat, but the characters and the narrative are very, very good indeed. I started it late evening and finished it by 11pm the same day.
The characters are both hilarious and excellently realised. I absolutely adored Talia and her phone conversations with her mother are hilarious. When she unexpectedly runs out of ink, what seems like a simple decision to take some of her bosses special ink turns into an all out catastrophe with a live tattoo snake and a trip into a parallel Fae world filled with more deadly fauna, flora and intelligent fae than you could shake a stick at. And also some unnerving discoveries about her own background...
The descriptions of the fae world are fantastic; there are a lot of fae style creatures on display here, and most of them have slightly different spins on them, making it an interesting take on standard fantasy lore. There are rich descriptions of the fae world, yet these never slow down the pace of the novel and the way Talia and Zayn deal with these challenges is used to add to the character development and world building. The use of blood types as a basis for the magic system is something that I have never seen before and found absolutely fantastic. It's innovative, interesting and as far as I've seen, fairly unique.
All in all, this is a humorous yet brilliantly written fantasy tale. The characters leap off the page - particularly Biscuit! It does have a couple of very explicit sexual scenes, so be aware of that before you go in, however they are used well within the narrative and felt natural rather than forced. Perhaps it helps that one of the main characters is an incubus... Either way, I thoroughly recommend.
January 20, 2023
I was honestly really surprised that I really liked this one. I downloaded this one on a whim.. I think I was looking at recommendations on Goodreads or directly on the Kindle app, but the premise seemed promising. Fae and tattoo artists? It was very interesting. It started off really good. We didn't meet the love interest until about 20% in, which I love, because it lets us get to know the main character before we start adding angst and romance.
The beginning was super fun. I read a lot of reviews where people didn't like this character, because she always did the opposite of what the MMC told her to do. I used to also hate this kind of character, but I've learned not to hate the stubborn woman, but appreciate her. Like yes, she shouldn't have gotten herself tangled up in a few things, but she was fucking smart. And she made it out alive.
I really loved the fae lore and magic system in this book. I was honestly really surprised at how complex the magic system was. Every type of magic had an explanation and I was happy about the chart included at the end of the book to remind myself.
Also can we talk about BISCUIT?! I fucking love animal side kicks in books. And Biscuit had so much personality, probably more so than the MMC. Speaking of which, I cannot wait to learn more about the MMC... I have a feeling he might he royalty in the fae world, but I'll have to read the next book to find out.
I'm very very impressed with this author. So much so that I bought the first book in her Lightning Conjurer series.
The beginning was super fun. I read a lot of reviews where people didn't like this character, because she always did the opposite of what the MMC told her to do. I used to also hate this kind of character, but I've learned not to hate the stubborn woman, but appreciate her. Like yes, she shouldn't have gotten herself tangled up in a few things, but she was fucking smart. And she made it out alive.
I really loved the fae lore and magic system in this book. I was honestly really surprised at how complex the magic system was. Every type of magic had an explanation and I was happy about the chart included at the end of the book to remind myself.
Also can we talk about BISCUIT?! I fucking love animal side kicks in books. And Biscuit had so much personality, probably more so than the MMC. Speaking of which, I cannot wait to learn more about the MMC... I have a feeling he might he royalty in the fae world, but I'll have to read the next book to find out.
I'm very very impressed with this author. So much so that I bought the first book in her Lightning Conjurer series.
September 3, 2022
Like nothing, you have ever read!
This book is like nothing you’ve read, guaranteed!! A mix of the portal and contemporary fantasy done with flawless, intriguing mastery.
It had some seriously hilarious bits, which pleasantly surprised me. The Jewish mother’s conversations were particularly comical. I think humor in books is seriously underrated, and I LOVE it.
This book involves the Fae realm and magic in a super unique and interesting way. It introduces you to just about every kind of creature you can think of that would be in a Fae realm, and like one would think, based on the usual ruthlessness of the Fae, most of them are NOT friendly. It's a bit of an overload, as Talia continuously finds herself in trouble, but enjoyable.
As a tattoo enthusiast, the tattoo aspect was compelling for me. I’ve spent a lot of time in “the chair” (6.5+ hours in one sitting for my thigh. Eek.) So, I really liked the research Rener put into this to understand the types of guns and methods involved with tattoo artists.
I’ve read about runes inked on skin before but not quite like this, and I seriously enjoyed it. Also, I LOVED the amount of spice. One cannot think of Incubi without spice, so very pleased with the tactful zest sprinkled into this.
I typically avoid super hyped-up books, but in this case, I'm glad to follow the trend. What a truly delightful book.
Bravo, Rener, bravo.
This book is like nothing you’ve read, guaranteed!! A mix of the portal and contemporary fantasy done with flawless, intriguing mastery.
It had some seriously hilarious bits, which pleasantly surprised me. The Jewish mother’s conversations were particularly comical. I think humor in books is seriously underrated, and I LOVE it.
This book involves the Fae realm and magic in a super unique and interesting way. It introduces you to just about every kind of creature you can think of that would be in a Fae realm, and like one would think, based on the usual ruthlessness of the Fae, most of them are NOT friendly. It's a bit of an overload, as Talia continuously finds herself in trouble, but enjoyable.
As a tattoo enthusiast, the tattoo aspect was compelling for me. I’ve spent a lot of time in “the chair” (6.5+ hours in one sitting for my thigh. Eek.) So, I really liked the research Rener put into this to understand the types of guns and methods involved with tattoo artists.
I’ve read about runes inked on skin before but not quite like this, and I seriously enjoyed it. Also, I LOVED the amount of spice. One cannot think of Incubi without spice, so very pleased with the tactful zest sprinkled into this.
I typically avoid super hyped-up books, but in this case, I'm glad to follow the trend. What a truly delightful book.
Bravo, Rener, bravo.
February 21, 2022
Run, do not walk to get this book!!! I mean it! Go now!
I absolutely loved Inked by Author Rachel Rener. It had everything I could’ve wanted and more: humor, action, amazing world building (the other realm was so unique and mesmerizing), and the romance…. The tension! This totally counts as a a fantasy romance, portal fantasy, high fantasy, and is soooo goooooood.
There were so many scenes that were just… so… perfect. And Rachel used the “single bed” trope beautifully. I couldn’t get enough of it and it’s been a while since there was a new book boyfriend in my life, and Zayn is definitely my new book boyfriend!
If you want a unique take on fae with an urban fantasy feel, but still with portal fantasy to another realm, filmed with heated moments and tension between the FMC and MMC, and a main character that feels so realistic that I’m pretty sure her reactions would actually be me if I discovered magic/fantasy worlds were real.
This was absolutely fantastic and I give it 5 glowing stars, which would probably shine for real if I had some magical ink. But seriously… GO GET THIS BOOK! It’s the perfect NA. Any fans of Annette Marie on here, this is your newest book! I promise! You won’t be disappointed.
I absolutely loved Inked by Author Rachel Rener. It had everything I could’ve wanted and more: humor, action, amazing world building (the other realm was so unique and mesmerizing), and the romance…. The tension! This totally counts as a a fantasy romance, portal fantasy, high fantasy, and is soooo goooooood.
There were so many scenes that were just… so… perfect. And Rachel used the “single bed” trope beautifully. I couldn’t get enough of it and it’s been a while since there was a new book boyfriend in my life, and Zayn is definitely my new book boyfriend!
If you want a unique take on fae with an urban fantasy feel, but still with portal fantasy to another realm, filmed with heated moments and tension between the FMC and MMC, and a main character that feels so realistic that I’m pretty sure her reactions would actually be me if I discovered magic/fantasy worlds were real.
This was absolutely fantastic and I give it 5 glowing stars, which would probably shine for real if I had some magical ink. But seriously… GO GET THIS BOOK! It’s the perfect NA. Any fans of Annette Marie on here, this is your newest book! I promise! You won’t be disappointed.
March 16, 2023
Five laughing-while-crying Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for Inked by Rachel Rener
Talia’s life is difficult. She’s literally and figuratively lacking the air to breathe. Firstly because she’s an asthmatic, secondly because her over-anxious mother smothers her spirit, turning her into a mess of doubt and anxiety.
Still, Talia has managed to persevere and find a place where she feels at home, doing what she loves. Art. Tattoos, to be more precise. What an irony, because Talia is afraid of needles.
She starts an apprenticeship in a tattoo shop, and her boss Zayn is hot, making her wallow in fantasies. When one day, he doesn’t show up for work, Talia feels compelled to find and save him.
That’s where her incredible adventure begins. Head over heels, she stumbles into a world beyond her own. It’s one hell of a ride that involves a cobra-rattlesnake hybrid, a sassy parrot named Biscuit (sorry Hibiscus), a magical filing cabinet, lots of blood, and no cell reception whatsoever. So, if this trip won’t kill her first, her mother surely will once she’s back home … or maybe not?
Embark on a hilarious, crazy, shocking, heartbreaking but also uplifting journey to find out.
Talia’s life is difficult. She’s literally and figuratively lacking the air to breathe. Firstly because she’s an asthmatic, secondly because her over-anxious mother smothers her spirit, turning her into a mess of doubt and anxiety.
Still, Talia has managed to persevere and find a place where she feels at home, doing what she loves. Art. Tattoos, to be more precise. What an irony, because Talia is afraid of needles.
She starts an apprenticeship in a tattoo shop, and her boss Zayn is hot, making her wallow in fantasies. When one day, he doesn’t show up for work, Talia feels compelled to find and save him.
That’s where her incredible adventure begins. Head over heels, she stumbles into a world beyond her own. It’s one hell of a ride that involves a cobra-rattlesnake hybrid, a sassy parrot named Biscuit (sorry Hibiscus), a magical filing cabinet, lots of blood, and no cell reception whatsoever. So, if this trip won’t kill her first, her mother surely will once she’s back home … or maybe not?
Embark on a hilarious, crazy, shocking, heartbreaking but also uplifting journey to find out.
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