(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
The plot of this book was quite an intriguing one, but I did struggle a bit with the storyline at times. I have to say, I found it quite strange that teachers would basically insist on leaving a student completely on her own in a house… though I don’t actually know how long ago this book is set, so maybe things were different in that time.
The idea of the different worlds was quite a good one and I did like the characters. It was interesting to see how Delany’s and Mattie’s friendship evolved through the course of the book, from them being enemies to being supportive of each other… even through a very tough time.
I did also like the other characters in this book, particularly Meris and the wrongfully accused prince. It was a bit disappointing that there was very little explanation as to the bad guy’s motivations, though… and I felt the ‘weak hearts’ explanation didn’t work too well for why no one acted to stand against what they knew was wrong.
I did find the writing style a bit difficult to get into. The author kept breaking into the flow of the story, which I felt was unnecessary and quite distracting at times. But there were some tense moments in the book that kept me reading… and I liked the fact that Delany and Mattie did the right thing, even when it was difficult at times.
I did like the ending of the book, but I felt there was more to the story that could have been told. I do have book two and I do intend to read it in the next day or so. Despite what I mentioned above, the plot was interesting and engaging and I did find it a quick, easy read.
Ink of Blood 