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nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I think I’m in love with Dawn Metcalf. Honestly, I don’t know where she comes up with these books, but I love them! They have the types of magical creatures that we’re used to from faery books, but then Metcalf adds this whole new layer with the Signaturae, the symbols that connect the human world to the Twixt. I know, it sounds a bit confusing (and it can be a bit in the first book), but I’m in love with the idea and with the creative ways that Metcalf uses it. I just can’t express to you how much I adore these books!
So, Invisible starts pretty much where Indelible left off. Joy has saved the world from the evil Aniseed, who wanted to kill off the human race using Ink and Inq’s signaturae. Joy discovered that she could actually erase signaturae, thus saving the day. But even though she benefited both the Twixt and the human world, many members of the Twixt still see her as a threat – her ability could be dangerous if she used it against them. The Council has insisted that Joy either give up her scalpel (which they believe mistakenly will take away her ability to erase signaturae), allow herself to be claimed once again by a member of the Twixt, or cut all ties with the Twixt completely. Joy wouldn’t mind being claimed by Ink, but he desperately wants her to hold onto her freedom – so instead they try to buy time to come up with another solution. But, in the meantime, Joy is being hunted by a deadly assassin – she may not have to face the Council at all if she can’t survive that long.
What I LOVED:
Joy and Ink.
These two are one of my favorite book couples ever. They adore each other, and it shows. I love how Joy truly loves teaching Ink to feel and how each experience is new to him. His wonder at the world and at everything he feels for Joy just makes me kind of giddy. Joy and Ink are incredibly sweet together, but they also have tons of chemistry (I was amazed at how much chemistry Metcalf was able to create in scenes where they really didn’t do anything more than kiss, albeit passionately, with hints of possibly more to come). But Joy and Ink aren’t perfect – they do have some issues in this book, partially due to their different perspectives (human vs. Twixt). Like every good couple, they have to navigate some speed bumps on their way to true happiness, but I found their issues to be believable, especially based on Joy and Ink’s personalities. Their troubles really just made me root for them more!
Dangerous enemies … and friends too.
Joy’s magical enemies are incredibly dangerous and there are plenty of run-ins with them! Of course, even Joy’s magical friends put her in danger sometimes … and can she really trust them? I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book, wondering when Joy’s life would be put in danger next and how she would escape (oh, and the way that she does escape is awfully cool). Joy’s family gets in on the action a bit too, but I don’t want to spoil anything about that – you’ll just have to read to find out!
Monica.
Joy’s best friend has a personal dilemma and needs her. Of course, Joy is a bit preoccupied with someone trying to murder her and all, but she still manages to make time for Monica, which I loved. And I was invested in Monica’s story too!
Satisfying ending. This book could almost be the end to the series and I would have felt satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely want to read more of these books, but I love that the books don’t end on cliffhangers and we get a sense of closure at the end of each one. Wonder what Metcalf has up her sleeve next?
The negatives:
Nothing much.
Once again, I can’t really think of any real negatives for this book (this has happened a few times lately!). I’m sure there were moments that I wasn’t thrilled with, but I was too engrossed in the story to write them down and I can’t think of any of them at this point. Sigh … oh well!
I can’t wait to read more of The Twixt (looks like I’ll have to wait until June of 2015, though)! Seriously, if you like fantasy, especially books that involve fae and the like, you need to read this series. I give this second book 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
I think I’m in love with Dawn Metcalf. Honestly, I don’t know where she comes up with these books, but I love them! They have the types of magical creatures that we’re used to from faery books, but then Metcalf adds this whole new layer with the Signaturae, the symbols that connect the human world to the Twixt. I know, it sounds a bit confusing (and it can be a bit in the first book), but I’m in love with the idea and with the creative ways that Metcalf uses it. I just can’t express to you how much I adore these books!
So, Invisible starts pretty much where Indelible left off. Joy has saved the world from the evil Aniseed, who wanted to kill off the human race using Ink and Inq’s signaturae. Joy discovered that she could actually erase signaturae, thus saving the day. But even though she benefited both the Twixt and the human world, many members of the Twixt still see her as a threat – her ability could be dangerous if she used it against them. The Council has insisted that Joy either give up her scalpel (which they believe mistakenly will take away her ability to erase signaturae), allow herself to be claimed once again by a member of the Twixt, or cut all ties with the Twixt completely. Joy wouldn’t mind being claimed by Ink, but he desperately wants her to hold onto her freedom – so instead they try to buy time to come up with another solution. But, in the meantime, Joy is being hunted by a deadly assassin – she may not have to face the Council at all if she can’t survive that long.
What I LOVED:
Joy and Ink.
These two are one of my favorite book couples ever. They adore each other, and it shows. I love how Joy truly loves teaching Ink to feel and how each experience is new to him. His wonder at the world and at everything he feels for Joy just makes me kind of giddy. Joy and Ink are incredibly sweet together, but they also have tons of chemistry (I was amazed at how much chemistry Metcalf was able to create in scenes where they really didn’t do anything more than kiss, albeit passionately, with hints of possibly more to come). But Joy and Ink aren’t perfect – they do have some issues in this book, partially due to their different perspectives (human vs. Twixt). Like every good couple, they have to navigate some speed bumps on their way to true happiness, but I found their issues to be believable, especially based on Joy and Ink’s personalities. Their troubles really just made me root for them more!
Dangerous enemies … and friends too.
Joy’s magical enemies are incredibly dangerous and there are plenty of run-ins with them! Of course, even Joy’s magical friends put her in danger sometimes … and can she really trust them? I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book, wondering when Joy’s life would be put in danger next and how she would escape (oh, and the way that she does escape is awfully cool). Joy’s family gets in on the action a bit too, but I don’t want to spoil anything about that – you’ll just have to read to find out!
Monica.
Joy’s best friend has a personal dilemma and needs her. Of course, Joy is a bit preoccupied with someone trying to murder her and all, but she still manages to make time for Monica, which I loved. And I was invested in Monica’s story too!
Satisfying ending. This book could almost be the end to the series and I would have felt satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely want to read more of these books, but I love that the books don’t end on cliffhangers and we get a sense of closure at the end of each one. Wonder what Metcalf has up her sleeve next?
The negatives:
Nothing much.
Once again, I can’t really think of any real negatives for this book (this has happened a few times lately!). I’m sure there were moments that I wasn’t thrilled with, but I was too engrossed in the story to write them down and I can’t think of any of them at this point. Sigh … oh well!
I can’t wait to read more of The Twixt (looks like I’ll have to wait until June of 2015, though)! Seriously, if you like fantasy, especially books that involve fae and the like, you need to read this series. I give this second book 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
postitsandpens's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, yep, I liked this one just as much as the first. I wasn't sure if I would at first but it all worked out.
Full review to come soon!
Full review to come soon!
postitsandpens's review against another edition
3.0
Full disclosure: I didn't read the entirety of this book. I found myself becoming uninterested, so I started skipping through and reading pieces here and there, before reading the last 100 pages or so. The previous three books in this series had grabbed me immediately, but that wasn't the case here, and I'm not certain why exactly, but there was just something not working as well for me in this final installment. That being said, I liked what I did read - just not as much as I'd wanted to or expected to. Is it because I waited too long before finally diving into this book? Maybe. Whatever it was, this was pretty disappointing for me, although I'm not completely sure how much I can actually blame the book itself.
bluebeereads's review against another edition
5.0
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
Seriously, what is up with sequels nowadays? When did they become more than just set-ups for an epic finale? This is the second sequel I've read in a row and neither suffered from the Second-Book-Syndrome. That's a very good thing, but my poor heart can't take this many feels!
I'll keep this spoiler free for both books, so I'll just go straight to telling you what I liked and disliked. This'll probably be a shorter review than normal. When I read Indelible last year, I didn't expect to like it. But I loved it. It blew me away and the romance was perfect. Needless to say I was eager to read the sequel! And then, last month, I got an e-mail saying I was part of the blog tour so I'd be getting a review copy too and yes, I was happy. Happy dancing, flailing, fangirling, all of it. And like you might have noticed already, this did not disappoint.
The writing is still so great and the world of the Twixt is so fascinating! I absolutely love it so much and I'm so fascinated by it! I just can't get enough of it. The story of a sequel is usually a bit boring and just a set up for the finale (if it's a trilogy). Well, that's what I thought anyway. Seems like the rules have changed lately. I've been reading a lot of great sequels! And this one has a fantastic story. I was laughing, giggling, swooning, yelling, biting my nails, sobbing and even crying. This was another emotional roller coaster, which I did not see coming. Dawn was right when she warned me a few weeks back on Twitter. I can't even imagine what the next book has in store.
I still love Joy so much and in this book we're introduced to her brother properly and I love how Joy is around him! They're so adorable together and yes, I fell in love with her brother immediately. Inq and Monica are still fantastic too but the best character is Ink. He grows so much in these books and I love him so, so much! I feel for him and the romance between him and Joy is just breathtaking! I can't go into it too deep because that would mean spoilers but it's amazing.
The Twixt is now one of my favorite series out there and I highly recommend them to everyone! I can't wait to read the rest of this series and find out what happens to my Ink! Read this! Oh and tissues may be necessary.
Be sure to stop by September 17th for my interview with Dawn on my tour stop!
taylorreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I was not as wrapped up in this book as with Indelible but overall a good read. I liked seeing Joy work to find her place with Ink and within the Twixt, learning the lengths of her families involvement and furthering her friendship with Filly (who is probably my favorite character!) Dawn Metcalf has built such an intricate and complex world with the Twixt, I'm looking forward to reading the next book!
kblincoln's review against another edition
5.0
I used to do this thing where I'd assign a "snack rating" to books in my reviews....because sometimes reading a book is like eating a bag of potato chips :) If Invisible were a snack, it would be one of my go-to comfort foods: Parmesan Garlic kettle chips.
It's basically Kirsten catnip (only missing some "adult romance" if you know what I mean). Dawn Metcalf does a fabulous job of upping the ante, getting deeper into Joy's world, keeping some of those Ink-and-Joy sensuous scenes where he's learning about being human through touch (conveniently interrupted by brothers and other stuff sadly) and consolidating the fae world of the Twixt.
But besides Joy's troubles now that she's no longer bound to Ink and there's someone sending an unstoppable assassin against her, there's these little moments of real world poignancy and depth that really make this series stand out for me.
Joy is also dealing with a anger against a mother who left their family, and also has a black friend who is in love with a white german guy and uncomfortable with the issues raised by that. There's a moment where Monica sits Joy down and forces her to confront the fact that its easy for Joy to ignore the issues because "you love him and he loves you" because Joy is white.
And there's a moment where Joy, in the midst of her last ditch effort to save her own life in front of the Twixt Council where she has to dress up and notes fleetingly that her feet, spoiled by a summer of flip flops have squished toes in her strappy heels.
It's notes like this that make the fantastic stuff more enjoyable and real-seeming by contrast.
And there's lots of fun fight scenes with Filly the Nordic warrior.
Sometimes I get tangled up (much like Joy and Filly get tangled up in Kestrel's lead line when hunting the assassin) in the battle scenes, but they're mostly well done.
There is a bit of plot-driven ignoring of Joy's brother's revelations about his own TWixt experience, somewhat unbelievable in the face of my own raging curiousity (what about the Carousel DJ?) hopefully we'll get more of that later.
Mostly it's just fun and interesting, a bit of poignant escapist read. Read the first book, first, though.
It's basically Kirsten catnip (only missing some "adult romance" if you know what I mean). Dawn Metcalf does a fabulous job of upping the ante, getting deeper into Joy's world, keeping some of those Ink-and-Joy sensuous scenes where he's learning about being human through touch (conveniently interrupted by brothers and other stuff sadly) and consolidating the fae world of the Twixt.
But besides Joy's troubles now that she's no longer bound to Ink and there's someone sending an unstoppable assassin against her, there's these little moments of real world poignancy and depth that really make this series stand out for me.
Joy is also dealing with a anger against a mother who left their family, and also has a black friend who is in love with a white german guy and uncomfortable with the issues raised by that. There's a moment where Monica sits Joy down and forces her to confront the fact that its easy for Joy to ignore the issues because "you love him and he loves you" because Joy is white.
And there's a moment where Joy, in the midst of her last ditch effort to save her own life in front of the Twixt Council where she has to dress up and notes fleetingly that her feet, spoiled by a summer of flip flops have squished toes in her strappy heels.
It's notes like this that make the fantastic stuff more enjoyable and real-seeming by contrast.
And there's lots of fun fight scenes with Filly the Nordic warrior.
Sometimes I get tangled up (much like Joy and Filly get tangled up in Kestrel's lead line when hunting the assassin) in the battle scenes, but they're mostly well done.
There is a bit of plot-driven ignoring of Joy's brother's revelations about his own TWixt experience, somewhat unbelievable in the face of my own raging curiousity (what about the Carousel DJ?) hopefully we'll get more of that later.
Mostly it's just fun and interesting, a bit of poignant escapist read. Read the first book, first, though.
holly_tree's review against another edition
4.0
First off, I'm a fan of this series. Really, I am! But there is a ton of things that I really didn't enjoy. This installment was certainly easier to follow than Book 1, but it still wasn't the smoothest flowing book.
So I'll first share my thoughts on WHAT WENT WRONG:
1. Slow, lingering scenes for pages, and pages, and pages, and...
2. Again, confusing in reasonings for actions/beliefs of Folk.
3. The romance between Ink and Joy struck a creepy chord with me in this book, despite finding it sweet in Book 1. Joy just keeps repeating that everything Ink does, touches and moves and such, he's learned from others, i.e. HER. He's using her own moves on her. There is no evidence that he acts on any impulses, tries new things, ventures out of the box... It feels robotic to me, you know? He doesn't seem to have any passion to drive him when it comes to romance. (Also, as I pointed out earlier in my live-reading thoughts: did Ink allude that he and Joy needed to stop kissing because he hadn't drawn himself a penis yet?? First off-- that's crossing the line of acceptability, Ms. Metcalf. Second, since when did Ink learn to associate desire and romance to sex? Did the Cabana Boys have a sit-down with him and explain the birds and the bees? Cause that's actually adorable now that I think about it. But honestly. I don't think that particularly bit needed to make it into the book. Let him draw his nether regions in peace, and let us live blissfully unaware of how he got that way.)
4. Questions went unanswered... (I don't even remember what they were...)
5. Did I mention that it was hard to follow at times? Yeah, okay.
6. Where was Ink doing his thing, marking people? Not once did Joy accompany him to mark someone. That whole plot element was erased in this book, and it was one of the things I loved about the first book. I loved all the different Folk we met and their descriptions and learning the reasons why they would be marked... I really, really missed the creativity of those things. The book definitely suffered for the loss of those characters and situations.
But that's the thing: I still really like this series. I had absolutely NO CLUE what was happening for most of the first book, but it was so creative and fresh and new, that I just HAD to finish it. It's what made me stick with this one in particularly long scenes in this book. I like the idea. I like the premise. The characters are an awesome mish-mash of off beat people and Folk and I love them. I don't understand it. I don't understand the overall plot. I don't get why a lot of it is important. But for once, I really don't care.
I just like it.
So I'll first share my thoughts on WHAT WENT WRONG:
1. Slow, lingering scenes for pages, and pages, and pages, and...
2. Again, confusing in reasonings for actions/beliefs of Folk.
3. The romance between Ink and Joy struck a creepy chord with me in this book, despite finding it sweet in Book 1. Joy just keeps repeating that everything Ink does, touches and moves and such, he's learned from others, i.e. HER. He's using her own moves on her. There is no evidence that he acts on any impulses, tries new things, ventures out of the box... It feels robotic to me, you know? He doesn't seem to have any passion to drive him when it comes to romance. (Also, as I pointed out earlier in my live-reading thoughts: did Ink allude that he and Joy needed to stop kissing because he hadn't drawn himself a penis yet?? First off-- that's crossing the line of acceptability, Ms. Metcalf. Second, since when did Ink learn to associate desire and romance to sex? Did the Cabana Boys have a sit-down with him and explain the birds and the bees? Cause that's actually adorable now that I think about it. But honestly. I don't think that particularly bit needed to make it into the book. Let him draw his nether regions in peace, and let us live blissfully unaware of how he got that way.)
4. Questions went unanswered... (I don't even remember what they were...)
5. Did I mention that it was hard to follow at times? Yeah, okay.
6. Where was Ink doing his thing, marking people? Not once did Joy accompany him to mark someone. That whole plot element was erased in this book, and it was one of the things I loved about the first book. I loved all the different Folk we met and their descriptions and learning the reasons why they would be marked... I really, really missed the creativity of those things. The book definitely suffered for the loss of those characters and situations.
But that's the thing: I still really like this series. I had absolutely NO CLUE what was happening for most of the first book, but it was so creative and fresh and new, that I just HAD to finish it. It's what made me stick with this one in particularly long scenes in this book. I like the idea. I like the premise. The characters are an awesome mish-mash of off beat people and Folk and I love them. I don't understand it. I don't understand the overall plot. I don't get why a lot of it is important. But for once, I really don't care.
I just like it.
noregrets4life33's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars ;)
This series is an interesting take on fey and all that encompasses that. It's a solid series so far. The romance between Ink and Joy is refreshing and wonderful; the cast of characters is really vibrate and unique; and there are lots of lessons to be learned and a decent plot.
If you like fey books or want to read something in the fantasy realm that doesn't have a love triangle, give these a shot.
This series is an interesting take on fey and all that encompasses that. It's a solid series so far. The romance between Ink and Joy is refreshing and wonderful; the cast of characters is really vibrate and unique; and there are lots of lessons to be learned and a decent plot.
If you like fey books or want to read something in the fantasy realm that doesn't have a love triangle, give these a shot.