(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I have read and enjoyed several short stories and novellas by this author before, so when I was approached about reading another short story, I immediately jumped at the chance… and I did really enjoy reading this short story.
I have to say, though, that this felt more like a teaser. Using the diary entry format to tell Gillian’s story was a good style choice, but it did mean that a lot of the relationship between her and Callum was just glossed over. I felt that this story could have been extended a bit longer and it would have been good to see some of the letters they’d exchanged.
The concept of Gillian’s kind being changed when they started to develop feelings for someone outside their race was a pretty intriguing one. I also liked her magical ability. The fact that she could use her voice to charm people was something I would have liked to see a bit more of, so I could see more of the limitations and how well-rounded her ability was.
I did think that Gillian and Callum were more open with each other than they probably should have been. I could understand that with Gillian, in a way… but it didn’t seem to work so well with Callum blurting everything to someone he didn’t know.
I would have liked to see a bit more of Gillian’s father as a more well-rounded character, as some attempt was made to do that with the man Gillian was supposed to marry.
This short story did succeed in firing my interest to read more of the books by this author. This was a really quick and easy read and I felt it was a good introduction for someone new to this author’s writing. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Ink of Blood 