(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Although this book didn’t actually stick with the blurb it promised (I wouldn’t call it a historical romance by much of a stretch of the imagination), I did still find it a really interesting read.
I found Nicholas to be a likable character, though I would have liked to see less of what he experienced glossed over. I felt that a lot of his relationship with his mother and stepfather was glossed over and it was difficult to see if there were any redeeming qualities to Nicholas’ stepfather. I didn’t like him at all.
I felt that Nicholas’ feelings for Henry and attempt to deny them came across really well. I felt a lot of sympathy for him as he tried to convince himself his love for Henry was wrong… and even more so after things took such a tragic turn.
It was interesting to see that this book took a more paranormal turn. I felt that Nicholas’ anger towards Henry was understandable, if a bit unfair. It was sad to see Nicholas become so lost… and it was good to see the way he tried to pull himself back and do the right thing. I felt that he had a great weight on his shoulders and things weren’t exactly made easy for him towards the end of the book, with the people he was working with.
I thought the Realm was interesting and it was good to get some idea of what the other worlds were like, even though a lot was left to the imagination. It was good to see Nicholas struggling with what he needed to do and I felt his youth came across really well. I wasn’t too surprised by a couple of the things that were revealed, but there were some nice elements towards the end of the book. And it was good to see that Nicholas reacted to the things he hadn’t seen or known about when he was alive, despite learning about them in the library… another interesting concept.
In the future, I would be interested in reading more books by this author. I’d also like to see more of the world and the characters from this book.
Ink of Blood 