Arcane Ink

by Rachael Vaughn

I’m not a paranormal investigator; I’m just a tattoo artist.

But I’m also one of the few people in this town that knows about the magical community—the shifters and elementals and creatures big and small that inhabit the tourist town of Willow Creek, Indiana. Because I’m one of them. And it’s my magic—tattoo magic—that keeps us hidden and safe.

But when trouble shows up on my doorstep, in the form of exploding tattoos and a missing client, suddenly my livelihood—and the anonymity of Willow Creek’s magical population—is in jeopardy.

The problem? There’s no one to solve the mystery except me and the rest of the ragtag artists at Arcane Ink.

Guess I’d better get to work.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2022

About the author

Rachael Vaughn is the creative brainchild of a husband-and-wife writing duo. 

Rachael is the wordsmith of the pair. Her interests encompass all things creative, from mosaics to wood carving, and when she isn't writing she stays busy as a full-time tattoo artist. 
​
Vaughn acts as the bookends of the writing process. He serves as the team's world-builder and plot developer on the front end, and acts as an editor and proofreader (plus the ultimate voice of reason) on the backside.
​
The couple lives outside of Indianapolis with their daughter and cat, as well as more books than they could possibly read.

Reviews

[Kass · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for something a little different in all the best ways, look no further than Arcane Ink! It stars the tattoo shop owning half human/half satyr Kass. Kass is a bit eccentric, with a dad like hers it’s not surprising, living off of post it note reminders and just generally having quirks in all the best ways. But don’t be fooled, this no normal tattoo shop. Most of the customers, and even some of the staff, are otherworldly and receiving glamour tattoos to conceal their true identities/appearances. If that sounds intriguingly irresistible, it’s because Arcane Ink is just that!

While Kass is the star of the show and the owner of the shop, she’s not alone. Ginger is arguably the most important team member Kass has, because Ginger creates the ink used for the glamour tattoo’s. Historically a glamour tattoo is applied, feels, and looks no different than a mundane tattoo. That is until someone, or something, starts tampering with Ginger’s creations and supplies, turning the ink into a weapon!

Kass and Ginger are joined by the mysterious newcomer Auric on a mission to discover what is happening to the ink and stop it before anyone else is hurt. Normally this would be the job of their governing agency known as MOD, but their contact seems to have fallen off the map, leaving them to figure it out on their own.

I admire that throughout this whole crisis Kass puts the welfare of the crew and customers first, no matter the damage it may do to her shop and ultimately her livelihood. She also keeps an open mind when Auric, who is basically a stranger, comes waltzing in and practically takes control of the situation.

I would be remiss if I did not give Ginger the credit she is due. Ginger may be a bit flighty, but not only would the shop not run, but the entire magical community in the region would be exposed without her. Fortunately it is eventually discovered what is contaminating her ink and supplies. It’s an understatement when I say the description of the culprits made my skin crawl! Ick!

Arcane Ink put a unique and uncommon twist on urban fantasy with the creation of an entire magical world, an interesting backstory for Kass, engaging turmoil, and characters to carry it all along! Let the wait for book 2 begin!

Please note, I received an ARC of this book in order to leave an honest review.

[Ella Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for Arcane Ink, and was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Arcane Ink is the story of a Half-Satyr Tattoo artist and her colleagues solving mysteries, ranging from exploding tattoo ink to missing clients, whilst helping to keep the magical nature of some of their town’s magical community under wraps.

I really like the fact that the main character is a half-satyr - this is unusual for urban fantasy and I found it this aspect a refreshing take, and combined with her profession as a magical tattoo artist, I found myself really interested in her story. However as the book went on I felt she was a little 2D in places and more work could have been done to round her out. We have a few glimpses into her past, but nothing of substance is really uncovered, and I don’t feel we really get to understand why she has the character traits she does. Her supporting cast was even less developed, to the point where I didn’t really feel a connection with any of them. That being said, the main character is still likeable, though I would like a bit more of her back story, and a few more layers to her in the second book.

The world-building aspects of the book were very well done in my opinion. The basis for the magic system in Arcane Ink’s world and the scene setting (especially the places described in the final chapters) were vivid and imaginative and really captured my imagination and interest. The action sequences were well written, but we did take a while to actually get to them. The first half of the book did seem to be a little slow, and did have some scenes that I felt didn’t add to the plot much, but the last 25% of the book was brilliant.

Arcane Ink is a interesting take on the urban fantasy genre, and I did enjoy the book. It isn’t perfect, but it is a lot of fun. I look forward to book 2!

[James G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I r'cvd an eArc of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
Others have laid out the premise fairly well, so I am not going to rehash, but as a tattoed person, this book actually had me remembering, smelling, and hearing, what it is like to be in the tattoo chair. It also made me realize I am way over due for new ink, too bad mine wont be magical :)
We've all read other books with "magic" tattoos, but this one is just different enough as to not feel derivative. And I do not recall any other book with tattoos/ink going bad in this way.
As mentioned elsewhere, I would have liked some more backstory, but there are reasons that are spoilers that I am assuming why the author chose not to delve into that, just yet.
All in all it was an enjoyable read, and did the one thing that all new books should do, make me want more.

[Rosina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It had everything that I enjoy about a book. There were magical characters. Kass is half satyr. She is a tattoo artist and majority of the tattoos she does are glamour tattoos for magical creatures who are blending in with humans. There was a good cast of secondary characters. There are mysteries to be solved. The writing is excellent and the world building is on point. Definitely lots to be of room for a great series. I will definitely be reading the 2nd in the series when it comes out. Will also be looking into other books that have been written.

I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for Arcane Ink, and was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A half Satyr, half human, who owns a tattoo parlour, which specialises in glamour tattoos, to conceal the otherworldly... you picturing that yet? How was I to resist picking up this book??? Ooo, I'm so glad I did!

Kassandra is the half Satyr, and she owns a tattoo parlour with a difference. Together with her friends and fellow Tatoo artists, they tatoos both normal as well as magically enhanced tattoos. Want to appear human, even if you're not? Want to be concealed? No problem, Ginger will mix up the perfect magical ink for you, one of the crew will tatoo you and hey presto, done and done, safe as any normal tatoo. Only, suddenly, it's not! The scramble is to find out what is going on, which suddenly gets even more complicated! Thrown into solving a mystery, Kass and the crew have no one they can rely on, the government body that's SUPPOSED to solve magical problems is less than useless!

I loved that Kass is, well so human in her attitude and reasoning, her disdain for her satyr father is counteracted by her genuine love for him. Her friendships are warm and genuine and even when Auric enters the mix and she learns all sorts of things, her reaction is spot on.

Ginger reminds me a bit of a mad hatter scientist, concocting magical special inks, experimenting, trying to get to the bottom of why some inks explode. Well, when we find out the why and who, it was definitely a cringe moment! Ewww! The "things" that feed on magic are, are, are.... gross!!!! I'd probably faint or have a literal heart attack if one of them were on me!

A different world is exposed, strange creatures are revealed, the mystery of Kass' origins is tantalising. Really really great pace, really really great read, really really great action, now I really really need book 2!

[Diana Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arcane Ink: An Urban Fantasy Mystery Kindle Edition

by Rachael Vaughn  (Author

Thank you to Ms. Vaughn for the complimentary reviewer's copy. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
Arcane Ink is a fairly good book, with interesting world-building, okay side characters, and a good main character.

With a little editing (including a bit of pruning), a bit of expansion of the things that make this book unique (like the main character's existence as a half-satyr), and a bit of moving some of the last chapters to the front and finishing up with the last two chapters still at the end, this would be an excellent book.

The main character, Kass, is a half-satyr tattoo artist who specializes in magical tattoos in the small town of Willow Creek, Indiana. Willow Creek is oddly peopled by many magical folk of different flavors. Suddenly, the magical tattoo ink goes wonky and her livelihood (and that of her friends') is put in jeopardy. On top of that, a woman goes missing after getting a tattoo from Kass. There's a lot more to the story, but it has to be experienced.

There are many things, important things, that are told, not shown. For instance, Willow Creek is oddly peopled by many magical folk of different flavors with no actual explanation why they have come to this tiny mid-Western town and why none of the mundanes have any clue of what is happening around them. This seems to be inspired, maybe, by Kim Harrison's Hollows series or maybe the early Anita Blake books? But unlike Harrison and LKH, who make sure we understand what and how all that happened, it's just there.

Kass would be a really interesting character, because she is so unique in Urban Fantasy, if we got to know what her life was like as a half-satyr, instead of a couple of sentences about a glamour and it failing once or twice. This facet of the character could have lifted the story and the book into exceptional instead of fairly good. We should also have way, way, way more attention paid to the relationship with her father, instead of a few throw away scene. It's clear that the closing of her tattoo parlor would be devastating for Kass, but we don't know why. We don't read about bill collectors or bills piling up. It's tossed in there a couple of times for Kass to fret about and then ignored again until the resolution

The blurb insists that this book is action packed. It's not. It's a bit of buzzing about from one place to another while breadcrumbs land at Ass's feet or rather, her hooves. There is entirely too much exposition and talky-talky. And when the action pops in, it is either what appears to be some kind of humorous set up or comes in at 80% of the book read. This is where some judicious moving chapters, pruning a lot of the talky-talky and turning it into showing, and expanding the interesting bits about the characters would pay off.

Not at all a bad book and I can honestly say it is fun read, if one can plow through the slow pacing for the first 80%.
3 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Arcane-Ink-Urb...

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading and loving Shattered Mirror (a very good circus-themed book) I found out that Lydia also writes paranormal under the pen name Rachael Vaughn. Arcane Ink is the first book in her new paranormal series Arcane Ink and it was fantastic, magical tattoos is one of my key phrases.


This book has a wonderful cast of characters. The story is told from Kassandra Leva's perspective. Kass is a reluctant detective, probably because she's really a tattoo artist but when one of her tattoos goes horribly wrong and a former client ends up missing, what's a girl to do? Kass is a little scattered brain and uses post-its to keep her life in order but what do you expect from a half-satyr who is trying to overcome her nature. Kass is a good person and when something goes wrong you can count on her.


In the tattoo studio with Kass is Ginger who is described as a witchy mad scientist and that couldn't be more accurate from the graphic tees to the crazy glasses and absent-minded professor-type focus she has on her work. Then there is Ankia, the dhampir has a great sense of humor and may be a little mischievous but she has Kess's back. There are two others in the studio, Syd and Calvin, who seem like cool guys but I haven't really gotten to know them too much except to know that if Kass calls they will come. It's a good group of people, including newcomer Aruic, who has a complicated and interesting history and is overall a good guy.


My reading taste is pretty varied across the supernatural spectrum and I read a lot, so I have come across magical tattoos but I haven't really come across anything like Arcane Ink. I've read the first book in the series about a tattoo studio whose clientele is mostly supernatural but Arcane Ink was wonderfully different than anything I've read. The tattooing is an intricate part of the story, mixing magic with the ink and hearing the different purposes for the tattoos and the tattooing process was part of the story.


Then there's the plot, which was great. There's a mysterious guy that keeps popping up, a shady book club, exploding ink that's becoming a dangerous problem, and a missing sister is the beginning of an intriguing magical mystery that a tattoo artist has to solve because MOD (Magical Oversight Department) is nowhere to be found.


I highly enjoyed Arcane Ink, it was great and just the beginning of the series with more mysteries to come. The case of the missing sister may have been solved but after one little twist at the end more are sure to come, and after some ominous words I wonder what's next.

[RB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arcane Ink by Rachel Vaughn

I RECEIVED AN ARC FROM THE AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

This is my first time as an ARC reader and reviewer. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity after reading the book's description. It seemed to have a unique and fresh predictive on urban paranormal. Reading it only served to confirm my impression.

Kass is a half-satyr, half human woman who runs a tattoo shop. There, they use magical ink to create tattoos that can be used to cast spells. The most popular spell used creates a glamour that makes supernaturals appear human.

One day, Kass comes to work to find all sorts of challenges. Something is up with the inks. They are literally blowing up and losing their magic. A human comes to aggressively demand a magical tattoo without much context as to why. Another human comes in hoping for Kas to help her find her sister, who disappeared after getting a tattoo from Kass. She makes a promise to help, which sets off the core plot of the book.

I love the uniqueness of this story. I was surprised to find the MFC was a Satyr (well, half-satyr), as they are not used often in urban fantasies, let alone in lead roles. I also enjoyed that she was a tattoo artist and not a bounty hunter, which seems to be the trend these days. I especially enjoyed the unique way they combined magic with tattoos. It made me wish you could do that in real life. Haha!

I wish some parts went faster and other parts went slower. I understand it's the first book of a series, so it's setting the stage a lot. But I would have liked more detail on the world the main character lived in and her background.

Overall, it was a very interesting and good book to read. I enjoyed it a lot.

[D. Gabrielle Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found family, strained familial relations, mysterious stranger, all things are connected.

Arcane Ink is a slow-burn mystery. For a series opener, it works to show the workings of the magical community and introduce the characters. The stakes are low, at least in the beginning, and they really should be in a first in series. Neither reader nor author should expect to start a series at 10 and have any room to increase stakes later on. First in series has to start no higher than 3 or 4 on the action scale in order to build. Vaughn does this well, providing a hook and catalyst to catch our attention then never quite letting up on the problem. She piles small inconveniences on Kass Leva, her main character, at a rate just fast enough for Kass to catch her breath and hope the worst is over . . . but, it's not and now someone is missing, and now someone is dead, and now . . . and now . . . Until the action really hits a stride, well past the halfway point.

My one gripe is highly personal and likely unpopular and that is the burgeoning romance that is sure to come from book 2. While I am intrigued by the ending of this first in series, I am not looking forward to any romantic feelings that may be brewing. All slaying, no laying urban fantasy applies here in the beginning but may not as time progresses.

Will I keep reading? Likely. Will I speed through the gushy parts if there are any? Also yes. But all in all, I would recommend this story to others and I think that, in and of itself, is as good as any star rating.

[Lynn G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a complementary copy of Arcane Ink by the author for reviewing.

People always talk about great beach reads, but what about reading on those long winter nights? This book fits that scene perfectly. I have to say that I really had fun reading this book and found myself reading " just one more chapter" every time I opened it. I really liked the characters and enjoyed getting to know them. Having read previous books by this author, I expected that there would be a blending of contemporary life and magic and was not disappointed. Rachael Vaughn has real knack for that combination. The tattoo studio does both magic and mundane tattoos, which is the launching point for the plot. The settings and the characters are vividly described, and the story jumps right into the action. Exploding magic tattoo ink, a mysterious stranger with a big secret, a missing person, and a crazy satyr father all weave in and out of the story.
The book does leave a lot of questions unanswered and there are a couple of thin spots in the plotline, but I assume those will be addressed in the next book.

Ultimately, I am giving this book 5 stars because I just had a real good time reading it and look forward to returning to Willow Creek and Kass and Anika and co.. You'll find me curled up on the couch with a fake fire on the TV drinking tea and following their adventures.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willow Creek is home to many mythological characters, including tattoo artist and half-satyr Kass. Her magical tattoos help keep the community hidden from the nonparanormal world, until things start going wrong. From exploding ink to a woman gone missing, its up to Kass and her team at Arcane Ink to unravel the mystery of what is happening.

The plot of this book was fun and exciting, and I enjoyed the world the author created. The use of magical tattoos was a fun idea, and I loved that our main character was half-satyr, since I have rarely seen that in any paranormal/fantasy books. Kass has the type of personality that makes her very relatable. She has spunk, a can-do attitude and a mindset to do what she needs to do.

I needed more details! The story had a lot of interesting points, but very few of them were ever fully expanded on, and I was left needing more. I wanted to know more about this community, about Kass and her satyr side, as well as more on Arcane Ink. It seemed like some of the bigger points in the story that would provide some much needed insight were skimmed over.

Overall rating
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Nicola Donaghy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I was intrigued because although I’ve read a lot of books in this genre I’ve never read anything like this.

I love Kass she is so very relatable just a girl who happens to have hoofs and horns and is half satyr doing her best to go through life and not give into the satyr part of herself. I really enjoyed that magic was just life in this town it wasn’t explained how or why magic exists (and i didn’t need it to be) it was just there. I love that Kass had to use post its to remember stuff she needed to get done i can hard relate to that.

The story moved along at a good pace and was interesting and left me wanting to know more it didn’t end on a cliffhanger but I definitely want to see what else Kass and the gang get up to! Speaking of the gang i love them all and the vibe in the tattoo shop especially Ginger so cant wait for book two as i absolutely devoured this book in a day.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world and characters are interesting, well written, and the overall story has a fairly unique feeling. The MC is a tattoo artist, and tattoos are how magical people hide their magical selves and/or perform certain spells. All of the characters are likable, and I think they all have the potential to be interesting as bigger plot pieces as well. One thing that I found especially funny was that the magical version of the police are ridiculously useless - this is an interesting change from what I'm used to in similar world builds. The storyline of this book is engaging and fulfilling on its own, and there are enough plot line starters woven in to make for a really interesting series. I look forward to reading book two and seeing where things go.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn’t read this author before, but like a lot of books before this one, the blurb drew me in. Kass and her fellow tattoo artists are such interesting characters. They are all different, and I loved how they banded together…well, mostly Ginger, Kass and Anika to solve the mystery of the disappearance of one of Kass’ clients. Add in the interesting mystery, the hints of more to come, and the great writing, I’m more than ready to come back to this world to see what’s next. There’s a lot more to explore about these characters, the universe, and the surprising developments. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Willow Creek, Indiana! A tourist town with a magical community, this has interesting and intriguing world building and characters. Kass our female mc is a half-satyr tattoo artist who with her special abilities creates tattoos, magical tattoos to protect the supernatural community. Things start to go array and her tattoos start failing. Filled with Mystery, intrigue and suspense, it’s well paced and you find yourself easily drawn in. With a good supporting cast of characters, this enthralling read has me addictive and waiting eagerly for book two.

[Charlotte Wibjörk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a complementary copy of Arcane Ink by the author for reviewing.

Kass is a half satyr tattoo artist that gets thrown into mysteries with disappearing clients, exploding ink and questions about her own heritage.

I really liked the approach with the FMC as a tattoo artist, as well as the feature of a half-satyr. The book started in a very high tempo but found it’s pace a few chapters in and now when the scene has been set, I look forward to follow Kass and her friend in the next book in the series.

[Kirsty Carruthers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. People getting tattoos containing spells, what's not to love.
The book is extremely well written and flows well for an absorbing read. The possibility for this to become a huge series is making me glad I found it.
Magic tattoos are a huge deal, so long as you don't mistreat the magic, the ink, or that you basically believe in the magic in the first place.
Well worth it.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what can I say, didn't want to put it down. I read it till the end and now want to see what happens to the characters next. First mystery fixed now what will come their way. Highly recommend this book.
I was gifted an ARC for an honest review.

[Nancy Cumming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! Such great world building! The characters are so well done they seem like real people! If you want a book you can’t put down, this is just the ticket!

[Shannon Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It’s slightly quirky but that just makes it more fun. I’m already excited and anticipating the next book.

[Jackie Bach]

Great

I’m always so happy when I can find great new authors and the amazing worlds they write about! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!