Ink Mage kept me reading late into the night, swearing to read just one more chapter, then reading four. The ink in the title refers to magical tattoos that allow the protagonist to tap into spirit, heal quickly, and more. Victor Gischler deftly utilizes multiple viewpoints to tell and progress the story. As a shaman, I found the magic believable. As a reader and author, I appreciated Gischler's excellent world building. A few typos caused distractions, and the ending felt too emotionally lightweight. Otherwise, the book was excellent and well worth a few sleepless nights. I look forward to reading more works by this author. Okay, we’ve got a pretty basic fantasy plot here: somewhat spoiled (but plucky) heir to the throne is betrayed, her family murdered, her kingdom (duchy, actually) conquered, and she ends up in exile, where she meets a mysterious old man who gives her the power to wreak her vengeance on her betrayers. She also assembles a ragtag crew of misfits, etc.The difference is, this well-used plot is brought to life this time by Victor Gischler, who cut his teeth writing some of the best hardboiled crime fiction EVER. So a plot that would take hundreds of pages to get going in the hands of your average fantasy writer moves along at the brisk pace of a pulp novel, which is refreshing. There’s no wasted time here. There's also plenty of blood and guts and swinging of swords, all rendered in clear, coherent, and pleasing fashion. There's room for a sequel, but the ending wraps up the story (unlike a lot of fantasy novels that leave you hanging to get you to buy the next overwritten bloated installment).Recommended.PS: if it matters, I read it in the final version, not as a serial.
What do You think about Ink Mage (2014)?
Ok, but the quantity of sexual chapters suprisd me
—shay
