(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Ideally, I’d give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I found it easier to read than the previous book… but I did think that the time jump of a year later (and the constant flashbacks with little warning) were somewhat jarring.
While I did remember a lot about the previous book, I found that I got confused with some of the characters for a while before things settled down. I did think it was good to see the conflict between Lex and Quin in their relationship, but I was disappointed to notice a trope I see used a lot – the attractive girl/woman who wants to make a move on the heroine’s man. I found myself rolling my eyes during most of Emma’s appearances.
I did think that Quin’s father was interesting, but it seemed like his personality kept being written differently. I also would have liked to have seen more of the after-effects of Lex being drugged. I felt that she shook it off very quickly and it didn’t seem to fit with my understanding of the drug.
While Max did irritate me at first in this book, I did find myself liking him and String together… even though String seemed to change so much, it made my head spin. Augustus was still a creep. I could understand why Lex wasn’t believed about him, though… even if that did really annoy me.
There were some good elements regarding Emma that I was disappointed not to see more of. It felt very much like her entire personality was based around her trying to steal Quin from Lex, rather than being a character in her own right.
There were some good elements of tension in this book, but I was confused about exactly what the characters had been doing during the missing year. I think the book could have been expanded, with more scenes shown before the trial.
I did think it was good that Lex was suspicious of Quin’s dead and it was also good to see it have some effect on their relationship. I did find it really hard to connect emotionally with Lex at the time she was drugged… but then again, that was probably the point.
I’m not sure I’d re-read these books… but I am interested in seeing where this story will end and what will happen to the characters.
Ink of Blood 