Ink in the Blood

By: Kim Smejkal

Narrated by: Catherine Ho

Two friends who use tattoo magic to send divine messages must rely on one another to survive when they discover the fake deity they serve is very real - and very angry.

A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.

Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine's will and guide the actions of the recipients. It's considered a noble calling, but 10 years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.

Their opportunity to escape arrives with the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. Using their inkling abilities for performance instead of propaganda, Celia and Anya are content for the first time...until they realize who followed them. The Divine they never believed in is very real, very angry, and determined to use Celia, Anya, and the Rabble Mob's now-infamous stage to spread her deceitful influence even further.

To protect their new family from the wrath of a malicious deity and the zealots who work in her name, Celia and Anya must unmask the biggest lie of all - Profeta itself.

©2020 Jeannette Kim Smeljkal (P)2020 Recorded Books

Just amazing

This was both so well written and soooooo well performed. Too many twists and turns to count, the most lovable characters, just amazing.

I didn’t get it

There’s a lot of cool concepts, but I never connected with the characters, the plot, or the magic.
I also didn’t get how the magic and religion worked, or even how they prevailed at the end.
The only real takeaway for me was that faith is a weapon of corruption.

There’s little action, lightness or description of people or settings.
And for a duology built on tattoo magic, I found the magic severely lacking in vibrancy.
I only moved on to book 2 because I bought them at the same time.