(I received a free copy of this book, through NetGalley, in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers – also some references to self-harm).
This was a plotline I could really get behind. Being an avid reader myself, I’m currently in love with a whole range of fictional characters… and I can definitely understand how frustrated Chloe felt with the ending of her favourite book series.
I felt myself being drawn into this world and the characters involved. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the characters in the world that Chloe ‘fell’ into didn’t immediately start trusting her. I felt that was very realistic and although I hadn’t ‘met’ the other characters in the same way as Chloe had, I found myself believing in their relationships and their sense of family.
There was a nice variety of different types of characters, too. It was good that vampires weren’t the only being in the world.
I do think that Chloe ran the risk of taking over the story a bit too much, but I didn’t mind her as a character. The biggest problem I really had was the fact that Chloe was a cutter. I know that’s a real issue, but the line really resonated badly with me… and I didn’t think that part of her character was explored in the way it really should have been.
I did particularly like Naja as a character. I would have liked to see some of the story written from her POV… actually, a lot of the other characters, too. I felt that some of the women weren’t as well-developed as they could have been, particularly in a scene at the end, where they’re just referred to collectively.
Although there was some insta!love on Lucian’s side, I actually felt that worked for his personality and with his past. It was also interesting how this book didn’t follow the usual criteria for most romances, where the two main characters jump into bed together at the very first opportunity.
I think this is a world I would very much like to see more of in the future. The ending was a bit confusing and I would have liked to know a bit more detail about what was going on with Chloe then. But I did enjoy reading about the world and its characters and I would certainly be interested in checking out other books by this author in the future.
Ink of Blood 