Review: Ink Mage by Victor Gischler

Synopsis:

The city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has ever made it across the Long Bridge or penetrated the city's mighty walls. Even when a powerful invading army shows up at the gates, the duke and his daughter, Rina Veraiin, are certain that it poses little threat. But they are cruelly betrayed from within and, in a horrific spasm of violence, the city is brought to its knees. With the help of her bodyguard, Kork, the battle-trained young Rina narrowly escapes the slaughter and makes her way to the lair of an ancient sorcerer?the Ink Mage?who gifts her with a strange, beautiful set of magical tattoos. Now a duchess in exile, Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim what is rightfully hers, aided by a motley assortment of followers who will help her in her cause?some for noble reasons and others for their own dark purposes. With the enemy's agents nipping at her heels, Rina must learn to harness her new and startling magical powers if she is to assert her rightful place as ruler of Klaar.

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My Review:

4 stars

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

This book drew me in from the very beginning. I loved following Rina on her journey and watching her growth throughout the story. I connected with her early on which I really loved because it made it easier to get into the book. I really enjoyed how magic, action, and a small bit of romance was merged into the story but I could have done without the sex scenes. I found them pointless and unnecessary and feel that a few simple kiss scenes (or something else) would have been much better and sufficed.


Author:

Victor Gischler is an American author of humorous crime fiction.

Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.

He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.

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