A true delight to read. I adored the narration!!

This book was provided for review via Goodreads. Many thanks!

Trigger Warning: General violence. Mentions of trafficking, both human and otherworldly.

Ink & Sigil is the first book by Kevin Hearne in the series by the same name. Some readers might recognize Hearne’s name from the Iron Druid series. Others might be new to Hearne’s writing and his unique style.

Ink & Sigil takes place in a modern day world where the pen is quite literally mightier than the sword. With the right inks and the right written characters a person can accomplish almost anything. Heal wounds. Gain super strength (albeit only for a short while). Even alter another person’s mind. The art is heavily protected and Al MacBharrais in only one of a handful of practitioners.

As with his Iron Druid series, with Ink & Sigil Hearne manages to fuse fantasy and reality in to a very entertaining read. In its pages (virtual or otherwise) we are introduced to Al MacBharrais, who thought he might bristle at the term is a hipster through and through with his penchant for unique fashion and even more unique drinks. We are also introduced to Nadia, who works as Al’s accountant in his print shop but also moonlights as a pit fighter. Rounding out the trio is Buck Foi, a foul mouthed hobgoblin who loves “Your Mom” jokes.

Since this is the first book of the series, the universe and its rules must be spelt out for the reader. In Ink & Sigil this is generally done through flashbacks though on a few occasions Al explains something to Buck since he is new to the human realm.

In the genre of urban fantasy, authors must tread a fine line. They must combine the real and the fantastical in a manner that is both plausible and entertaining. Relying on too much of one or the other shatters the illusion and can be disappointing to a reader. Kevin Hearne has proven that once again he has the ability to walk that line and create a world that is so like and yet unlike our own.

Fans of Hearne’s other works will likely enjoy this book if they haven’t read it already. Likewise the same can be said for fans of urban fantasy. Personally, I really enjoyed reading Ink & Sigil and look forward to further adventures.

So glad to finally get around to this one, and sad that I put it off for so long! Takes me back to reading about Atticus for the first time. Lots of belly laughs, smirks, and guffaws.

I was not a fan of The Iron Druid, and might have skipped this except for a friend who pointed out that both the humor and the themes of inks and fountain pens (and magical sigils) might be up my alley. Which just goes to show, a) thank goodness for friends who know your taste in books and b) it’s worthwhile to revisit an author who maybe you didn’t enjoy at first. This was delightful from start to end! What my friend didn’t know is that I’m also a huge fan of Glasgow, so the Glasgow setting was also a bonus!

I hate to say it but it appears that Mr. Hearne *may* be a one-trick pony.

I loved the Iron Druid Chronicles, even though they were getting a bit tired by book 7. They were funny and creative and I had never read anything like them short of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Also, the reader of the Audible, Luke Daniels, made the experience that much more wonderful with his voice talent. (If you haven't listened to this series on Audible, do it! Hilarious!)

Then came Kill the Farm Boy (a collaboration with Delilah Dawson), which I wanted to love, but just ... nope.

So, Ink and Sigil. I was pretty excited with the thrill of starting up this new series, but it was just okaaaaay. Sadly, in my opinion, there were no endearing qualities to the characters. Several times while listening, I thought “this is boring. I just don’t really care about what’s going on in this story.” The beginning had so much promise with the mystery of what happened to Gordy, and what kind of “shady business” he had gotten himself into, but then it just fell short. If I had been reading this one on my own, I likely would have put it down at about 50%.

I wanted to love the hobgoblin, but you get little to no backstory on him. It was like he got all the leftover bits from Owen (Iron Druid Chronicles) and tried to make a character out of that. If Mr. Hearne had even just duplicated Owen’s character somewhat, that would have been better because I genuinely enjoyed him “figuring out” of the modern world and all his humorous foibles. There’s one scene with salsa in a Mexican restaurant that’s hilarious, but those were few and far between.

Al’s character is severely under-developed as well. Can you explain to me what the Sigil Agents are and why they do what they do and how someone becomes one in a better way please? The whole thing just felt lacking. The battle scenes were just weird… “wait for me to open this sigil and affect you mid-battle.…”

Huh?

I dunno. I just wanted so much more. I’m pretty sure I won’t be continuing this series. It’s a bummer because I really wanted this to be better.

Alright. So this book has Hearne’s distinct voice. The characters are lovable, and quirky just like normal. I enjoyed the plot a lot and I think it’ll be the start to a series. Has a mid way between the Dresden files and iron Druid. I hate that I have to wait for the second. I’m totally rooting for Al and his happiness.