Ink of Blood

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I was a bit surprised by how easy I found this book to read. I was drawn really quickly into the storyline and I was able to empathise with Jake really well.

The action started in this book almost straight away, with very little build-up. Although I would have liked a bit more background, especially with the interactions Jake had with the other characters he knew, I was able to follow what was going on really well. I did feel some sympathy for Jake… especially when finding out exactly why he was so small.

It was interesting to have the opportunity to see more of the Amazonian forest that Jake was in, though I did feel that there was a bit of telling rather than showing. I did think it was good to see something of Jake’s resourcefulness while he’s in the forest… and there’s a good bit of foreshadowing during the course of the book, too.

I found Pilar an interesting character, but I didn’t feel as if I got to know her very well as a love interest for Jake. Parts of the book, where Jake was in the compound, didn’t exactly feel real. Though it was good to see some of the culture of the tribe Pilar was studying, there were parts during that time that came across as almost dream-like.

I would have liked a bit more background on Jake, such as his relationship with his parents now and friends and work colleagues. I could certainly understand what drew him to visit the tribe at the start of the book and it was interesting to see him interacting with the members of the Tabna tribe and trying to learn about them.

I thought that the supernatural elements in this book added an interesting dimension, though the book did become more fantastical as the storyline went on. I felt that most of the characters were intriguing and I would have liked to know more about most of them.

It would be good to read a sequel to this book and see where Jake will go next… and if he’s truly out of danger now.