(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I thought this was a good start to the trilogy. There were some creepy moments in this book, as well as some scenes that were really quite intense to read.
I thought Silas was a bit more interesting than Lily, though I didn’t see very much of Lily’s supposed ‘vanity’.
I thought it was interesting to learn of the history of the gardens and how it tied into mythology with a slightly different version of Pandora’s Box.
I felt that both Lily and Silas were well-rounded characters. I liked their uncle a bit more as the book went on, but I found it a bit difficult to discern between the different riders. Some of them were named and established characters, but many of them weren’t, which made it hard to figure out how many of them were.
Some of the creatures in the gardens came across as really creepy, in particular the Smiling Ladies. It was disturbing to see that the house was really unsafe, too. It’s definitely not a place I would feel comfortable living in personally.
I liked learning about Ozy’s past and I would have liked to know more about Polly and Ursula… even though Polly was particularly disturbing.
The glimpses of Abigail were quite intriguing and I also liked Cassandra as a character. I had a lot of sympathy for her with what was hinted at in regards to her green skin affecting how she was unable to touch people. I didn’t think that Silas deserved her hostility… but the suggestion Lily made seemed to fit.
I would have liked to see more details about the different beings in the garden and where they come from. There were some hints that not all of the creatures were ‘bad’ and it would be nice to see if others of their kind could turn out to be allies. I would also have liked to learn about and see more of the mist people.
I found this book an entertaining and engaging read and I do intend to read the remaining two books in the trilogy in the near future.
Ink of Blood 