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jkay44's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The world was well built and I liked the characters in theory. But I didn't feel compelled to keep reading. It felt a little too plot driven, and the characters were not given enough time to shine and for us to feel attached to them.
ladyarchaeopteryx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
danaelaine's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Dresden Files vibes but updated/ without the misogyny. Fast paced mystery adventures with a touch of grim dark, fae politics and, silliness. I’m so here for it.
brieizziye's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A cute story but almost to far fetched to be interesting when it's set in "our world" with magic and the CIA. It's still a good read. Hard to get attached to the series.
terynce's review against another edition
4.0
Great books transport you to their worlds. After finishing the Iron Druid series some years ago, I really missed the world of Atticus O'Sullivan. Ink & Sigil brought me back and I'm thankful for it.
Same universe as the Iron Druid, but one doesn't have to be familiar with those books to understand or enjoy this one. In short, gods are real. Along with witches, werewolves, vampires, hobgoblins, pixies, and all sorts of mystical and magical creatures. We're dealing primarily with Irish gods and goddesses, but don't be surprised at other mentions or the occasional crossover.
Al MacBharrais is a Sigil Agent, one of 5 in the world. The knowledge of Sigils allow him to perform various tasks primarily to keep gods and their ilk to their own planes of existence and away from humans on this plane. There is seemingly a sigil for everything - strength, agility, truthtelling, forgetfulness, and so on - and the inks required for them are very difficult to make.
If there is a short-coming, for me, this is it. We, as readers, don't know all the sigils or even the rules under which the sigils exist until we have a reason to. That means if Al goes up against a vampire, he can produce the Sigil of No-Neck-Biting from his pocket and be saved. He also has two more for his friends. It's too much Batman's utility belt or deus ex machina esque for my liking.
If, instead, Al and the other Sigil Agents had knowledge to create sigils more akin to an alphabet or ingredients and they had to produce combinations to aid them in their endeavors while adhering to rules the reader knew, that feels more genuine to me. You still have some standbys that everyone knows (similar to the Frozen register in language), but agents are free to compose and create in response to their circumstances and in adherence to the rules.
That bit aside, I enjoyed the book. The chance meeting in Italy was nice. Looking forward to continuing this series.
Same universe as the Iron Druid, but one doesn't have to be familiar with those books to understand or enjoy this one. In short, gods are real. Along with witches, werewolves, vampires, hobgoblins, pixies, and all sorts of mystical and magical creatures. We're dealing primarily with Irish gods and goddesses, but don't be surprised at other mentions or the occasional crossover.
Al MacBharrais is a Sigil Agent, one of 5 in the world. The knowledge of Sigils allow him to perform various tasks primarily to keep gods and their ilk to their own planes of existence and away from humans on this plane. There is seemingly a sigil for everything - strength, agility, truthtelling, forgetfulness, and so on - and the inks required for them are very difficult to make.
If there is a short-coming, for me, this is it. We, as readers, don't know all the sigils or even the rules under which the sigils exist until we have a reason to. That means if Al goes up against a vampire, he can produce the Sigil of No-Neck-Biting from his pocket and be saved. He also has two more for his friends. It's too much Batman's utility belt or deus ex machina esque for my liking.
If, instead, Al and the other Sigil Agents had knowledge to create sigils more akin to an alphabet or ingredients and they had to produce combinations to aid them in their endeavors while adhering to rules the reader knew, that feels more genuine to me. You still have some standbys that everyone knows (similar to the Frozen register in language), but agents are free to compose and create in response to their circumstances and in adherence to the rules.
That bit aside, I enjoyed the book. The chance meeting in Italy was nice. Looking forward to continuing this series.
cloudcat's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
duckydoo's review against another edition
adventurous
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
acrigger's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
allisonalexander's review against another edition
3.0
This gave me Dresden Files vibes due to the urban setting and a magic user investigating a mystery involving the fae. I liked the worldbuilding, including the magic that uses ink and sigils and how the main character is cursed so he can't talk to people without consequences. I did wish there were more surprising reveals and actual investigating done by the sigil agent. The tone was fun, but the constant use of dialect became fatiguing for me to read.
stoker's review against another edition
2.75
really had to push through with this book. all i can say is that it felt like this author wanted to make his characters so likable but they ended up being cringe. the main character was meant to be 60 something but read like a teen. not going to continue with this series and i am surprised that i even finished it lol. it was not the worst book ever but i was not the target audience at all. thankfully it was a library book. thank God for libraries.