Review: Surprised me...4.9 (now I'm getting nit-picky)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 19, 2013
I adored Blood for Ink, and was greatly anticipating this second book in the series. This book surprised me in several instances. It was quite different from what I was expecting, which isn't bad, but I can't say that I enjoyed it quite as much as the previous book. Don't get me wrong, I liked it and enjoyed it and was invested in the characters, but I didn't LOVE it quite as much as I loved Blood for Ink, although I really, really, really LOVED Blood for Ink, so it is probably impossible to match it. I recommend it as a good read, especially if you read Blood for Ink, but also as a standalone. As I said, I found the story surprising and it often took turns that I wasn't expecting. In many aspects it was a compelling story, particularly the adventure (if that's the best word for it) components. Less talking about action, and more actual doing this time around. I also enjoy the author's humour and the interaction between characters. I would have enjoyed more on some of the secondary characters, particularly a very minor budding romance, but with more books to come, who knows what else we'll learn. I also feel that the author is very skilled in creating one or two very memorable and poignant scenes between her hero and heroine...something I've noticed with other writings by her.(The dressing room scene in Blood for Ink really stuck with me, for instance.) Sometimes I enjoy a book but just remember it as a whole, with nothing particular sticking out. One thing I like about this author's writing is that everything I have read from her has been a work that I remember as a whole, but has also lodged in my brain one or two specific and fantastic scenes that I will never forget.So why not 5 stars? I'm not sure that I can completely put it into words, but I just didn't quite connect to the story as fully as with the previous book. (I think maybe I have a higher expectation now for my experience with this author and my connection to her books because of how much I loved Blood for Ink and Lord Fool, the extended version.) There are a few specifics that I can mention. For instance, my feeling of disconnect between the France section of the book and the Scotland section.  Perhaps Blood for Ink is more of a connection bridging the two, if I can just wrap my head around it. It also took me a lot of suspending of disbelief to accept that Ash took the property from his friend, and went there, and it just happened to be where Blair was and her family lived. To me,it just needed Ashmoore to find or receive one little clue regarding Blair, so that he had a more rational reason for wanting to be there specifically, rather than randomly. I really liked Ashmoore in the first book, and I still liked him in this one, but I just didn't love the heroine quite as much. I guess I am more drawn to a character like Livvy (Blood for Ink), strong, but still fitting in conventional society, rather than the warrior type, like Blair. That said, I bought into their romance, it just wasn't quite as instant. I was definitely cheering for them by the end. Read it. You won't regret it.