(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I found the blurb of this book to be really intriguing, but I have to say, when I started reading it, I was a bit confused about the world and what was going on there. The idea about a whole family having to sacrifice themselves for the crimes of one member was a really interesting one and I did find Lillian to be a well-rounded character. I could empathise with the way she was trying to just get through what she had to and how she was suffering because of what her father had done.
I wasn’t really that keen on Lucius as a character. It didn’t come as a surprise to me that he was married, but that did lower him quite a bit in my estimation… as did his attitude towards Lillian. There were times I felt really sorry for her and I could definitely understand how Rebecca felt about Lucius.
I was a bit confused by the different kind of bonds there seemed to be. The society was obviously an already-established one, but although there were bits and pieces about the history at the beginning of each chapter, it didn’t really explain much… or anything about what the warriors were actually supposed to do.
It did seem a bit strange that there was only one character who actually voiced the problems with the society and that a lot of the people inside seemed cruel at worst and self-centered at best. I did enjoy reading about Lillian’s relationship with her sister, though I had difficulty understanding her mother and her role in the society. There was some explanation provided as to why her mother and sister weren’t forced to go through the same thing as her, though, which was good.
I did notice that the book kept slipping between present and past tense, which was quite confusing at times. It was also interesting to see how Lillian kept up her mantra and tried to help the other Apprentices. And I liked seeing how they had to deal with the limitations placed on the world and society.
I was confused about the whole counterfeit thing and various other things that were mentioned in the book. I did find it fairly quick and easy to read, but I did struggle to see Lucius as one of the good guys.
Ink of Blood 