(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Although the blurb of this book was really intriguing, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.
I was pulled really easily into this book. Alcott was an interesting character and although he had some very real fears of death, I still felt he showed true courage and bravery by the end of the book. He was a really likable, well-rounded character.
It was really good that the author stuck to one first-person POV. It made the storyline much easier to follow and it offered a really great insight into Alcott’s mind and how he viewed the other characters and the situation he was in.
Out of the other characters, I found Marya to be the most interesting… but I probably liked Gretchen the best. There were some contradictory moments with Marya, but I could really empathise with what she was going through. And Gretchen came across as a very motherly person. I really loved it when she told Alcott that Gari now had two heroes to fight for him.
The obstacles came across really well. Although I only got to see Alcott’s firsthand, I felt that his in particular really worked with him as a person. It was also good to see the hotel where they all rested between the obstacles.
I would have liked to learn a bit more about Travis and Vitaly. By the end of the book, I was left with a lot of questions that weren’t answered.
I really did like the ending of the book, even though it seemed at times that wasn’t going to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Despite the questions I had by the end, this book was entertaining and easy to read. I cared about the main character and there were things that surprised me. I didn’t see everything that happened coming.
I would definitely read other books by this author in the future, but although it would be nice to see more of some of the characters, I did feel that this book ended in the right place. I found it really quick and easy to read.
Ink of Blood 