(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
This book was quite an intriguing one. The idea of a prince being exiled to a horrific place is an intriguing one, as is said prince’s escape and how that experience changes him.
Since I hadn’t met Andor before his time in the Gloaming, I only saw the effects the place had had on him. Although it was interesting to see the thought processes in his mind (and how his mindset worked after escaping the Gloaming).
It was really interesting to see the way Andor had to build up his allies and strength before he could challenge Tryst, but I felt the challenging past came across a bit rushed. I think it could have been extended a bit.
I quite liked Jon and Wren as characters, but I found myself questioning the decisions Andor made concerning them quite a lot, especially given how Tryst viewed Wren. I was expecting more subtle action and towards the end, it was less satisfactory than it should have been.
I think Tryst could have been an interesting character, if there had been many redeeming qualities to him. I glimpsed something at the end, but nothing that made me think redemption might be possible. Though it would be interesting to read the next book and see if that’s proved me wrong.
I did like Andor as a character, too. I did, however, find myself quite confused by his relationship with Tryst and Ravien. I liked Ravien as a character, but I would have liked to see more of her mindset. By the end of the book, I still wasn’t sure I really trusted or understood her motivations.
I didn’t really like the constant switching between first and third person through this book. If the POV had to be changed, I would have preferred it to be in third person all the way through.
I did find this book to be quite well-written. I would like to read the next book that comes after this at some point in the future. It would be good to see how everything turns out and what happens next with the characters.
Ink of Blood 