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tinynavajo's review against another edition
3.0
An excellent and original world where writing can create, edit, or destroy a world. Elsa is forced to find her mother and hopefully prevent a dangerous weapon falling into the wrong hands.
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Full review at: https://tinynavajoreads.wordpress.com/
caitlinxx05's review against another edition
5.0
I’ll be honest, it took me a bit of effort to get through it, but it was absolutely worth it! There’s a lot of information to digest, which makes it a little hard to get into especially if you don’t sit down to read for a longer time, but the story is super original, really well written and the ending just makes me want to yell and immediately grab book 2. Awesome!
leann_bolesch's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I wanted to like this one. The premise of the worlds being described in books becoming real places you can visit (or receive visits from) is one that seems custom made to appeal to readers and writers. The overall plot as well, by and large, is fine. I had no major pacing issues, things were well teased and revealed at good intervals. The protagonist's archetype (the loner who has to learn to accept support form her friends) is one I prefer in a side character, but there's nothing wrong with the execution and the rest of the cast was entertaining. The overall steampunk aesthetic of the world was also fun.
What really ruined the book for me was the world building, which I feel is especially egregious in a book where world building is elevated to a science and the application of that science is a major component of the plot. More specifically, the elements of the story where the author sacrificed consistency in her magic system to cram in her opinion on a topical political issue with no relevance to the plot outside of the scene where it broke the magic. It was also a little interesting to watch her try to suggest 19th century Europe was racist exclusively by making the protagonist assume people would act racist towards her while forgetting to write literally anyone as acting racist, resulting in a weirdly color blind 19th century Europe and a protagonist with a chip on her shoulder. (I suppose you could count the author of Elsa's book looking down on the people of his book as inferior to Earthlings as racism that did exist, but she expects people to look down on her for her skin color and the author just forgets to demonstrate that this is a problem in the world she's created.)
What really ruined the book for me was the world building, which I feel is especially egregious in a book where world building is elevated to a science and the application of that science is a major component of the plot. More specifically, the elements of the story where the author sacrificed consistency in her magic system to cram in her opinion on a topical political issue with no relevance to the plot outside of the scene where it broke the magic. It was also a little interesting to watch her try to suggest 19th century Europe was racist exclusively by making the protagonist assume people would act racist towards her while forgetting to write literally anyone as acting racist, resulting in a weirdly color blind 19th century Europe and a protagonist with a chip on her shoulder. (I suppose you could count the author of Elsa's book looking down on the people of his book as inferior to Earthlings as racism that did exist, but she expects people to look down on her for her skin color and the author just forgets to demonstrate that this is a problem in the world she's created.)
jacieandbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Nope. Too many newb to writing mistakes. Main character has zero self confidence which drove me crazy. 2 stars only because of the concept.
cindeereads's review against another edition
2.0
This book was really mediocre and bland the characters were not really interesting at all the romance was shoehorned in and the twist was obvious and uninteresting. The characters were not that memorable and I found Elsa abrasive and Leo annoying and just not very well written. The plot started out interesting but after that point the idea was interesting but the execution was not very good. It starts out with the kidnapping of Elsa's mother and of course Elsa goes looking for her the story just gets really dull after that. So overall this book was meh and I am not interested at all in continuing the series.
kblincoln's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars, actually.
We are thrust into this YA story at the same time that the main character, Elsa, is thrust into the "real world" (an alternate, un-unified 19th Century Italy) from her "scribed' world of Veldana.
Her mother has been abducted, a library burned, and the worldbook of Veldana that holds the only home she has ever known as well as all her friends may or may not have been burned along with the library.
In the real world, a family friend puts her for safe-keeping into a the house of a family that runs a sort of orphanage/school for pazzerellone--the genius polymath children gifted with skills such as alchemy, mechanics, and scripting of worldbooks much like the one of Elsa's home.
Together, they decide to rescue Elsa's mother. Hijinks ensue. Lots of hijinks that involve things like diagnosing poison, outwitting armed assassins, using scriptology to get around the real world, finding their way through booby-trapped labyrinths, and falling in love.
This is a really fun book. I took half a point away because the first third of the book felt like I was floundering a little to understand the politics of Italy, which character was aligned where, and also to get into the awesome, fun, emotional bond of the four friends: Porzia, Faraz, Leo and Elsa. Once their camaraderie is developed, and Leo has to contend with his feelings of inferiority when compared to genius Elsa, and some of his family background comes out-- it becomes a totally engrossing romp. I wanted to spend more time wtih the four, which is a hallmark of a great book in my opinion. But it takes a bit to get there.
I'm definitely going on to find out what happens next. While the book does end with Elsa accomplishing one of her tasks, another greater task opens up before her and splits the friends apart. Gotta find out how they handle it!
We are thrust into this YA story at the same time that the main character, Elsa, is thrust into the "real world" (an alternate, un-unified 19th Century Italy) from her "scribed' world of Veldana.
Her mother has been abducted, a library burned, and the worldbook of Veldana that holds the only home she has ever known as well as all her friends may or may not have been burned along with the library.
In the real world, a family friend puts her for safe-keeping into a the house of a family that runs a sort of orphanage/school for pazzerellone--the genius polymath children gifted with skills such as alchemy, mechanics, and scripting of worldbooks much like the one of Elsa's home.
Together, they decide to rescue Elsa's mother. Hijinks ensue. Lots of hijinks that involve things like diagnosing poison, outwitting armed assassins, using scriptology to get around the real world, finding their way through booby-trapped labyrinths, and falling in love.
This is a really fun book. I took half a point away because the first third of the book felt like I was floundering a little to understand the politics of Italy, which character was aligned where, and also to get into the awesome, fun, emotional bond of the four friends: Porzia, Faraz, Leo and Elsa. Once their camaraderie is developed, and Leo has to contend with his feelings of inferiority when compared to genius Elsa, and some of his family background comes out-- it becomes a totally engrossing romp. I wanted to spend more time wtih the four, which is a hallmark of a great book in my opinion. But it takes a bit to get there.
I'm definitely going on to find out what happens next. While the book does end with Elsa accomplishing one of her tasks, another greater task opens up before her and splits the friends apart. Gotta find out how they handle it!
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
With the right tools--a special pen, specific ink--the right person can create an entire world thanks to the science of scriptology. Detailed manuals, called worldbooks, outline the parameters of the world from how gravity works there to whether or not the air is breathable.
There are no limits to how complex a worldbook can be--something scriptologists and the world at large learned when Charles Montaigne created Veldana--the first populated world created with scriptology. After Jumi, a talented scriptologist in her own right, helped her people secure their independence Veldana remains the only populated scriptologist world.
Now in 1891 Jumi's daughter Elsa is looking forward to the day when she can take on a larger role helping her mother maintain the Veldana worldbook and pursuing her other scientific interests.
Those plans change abruptly and violently when Veldana is attacked and her mother is kidnapped. Forced to flee Veldana Elsa finds herself in the real world with no way to get home or even know if the Veldana worldbook still exists.
With no option but to move forward Elsa travels to Sicily with her mother's mentor to regroup and find help. Among the pazzerellones Elsa learns about the madness that fuels innovation here--a singular interest in scriptology, mechanics, or other sciences that manifests as madness, particularly for the rare few polymaths whose interests cross multiple disciplines.
Uncertain who to trust or where to begin, Elsa seeks help from the other madboys and madgirls she encounters including calculating Porzia and mechanist Leo. With the right tools Elsa can write almost anything she can imagine into existence but she still doesn't know if that will be enough to save her entire world in Ink, Iron, and Glass (2018) by Gwendolyn Clare.
Ink, Iron, and Glass is Clare's debut novel and the start to a duology.
This novel is a refreshing blend of adventure and excitement with a heroine who is both pragmatic and scientifically inclined. Clare's world borrows from real historic events to build the bones of her alternate history filled with scientific madness and steampunk elements including automated machines, talking houses, and more.
The main sticking point with Clare's complex and well-realized world (and for me it was a big one) is the concept of an affinity for the sciences being construed as madness. There are no negative connotations to this madness--nor is there any discussion of what mental illness might look like in this world--but the intense gendering of the madness by calling those who have it "madboys" or "madgirls" was incredibly frustrating and served no purpose in the larger context of the story. If you poke too hard at this aspect of the world and the conceit that all great innovation is tied to madness and a complete lack of focus on the big picture (the idea being that the mad ones can focus on nothing but their chosen sciences) the premise starts to fall apart.
Despite an exceedingly large ensemble cast, Elsa spends much of the novel in her own head as she works through using her mechanical and scriptological talents to pursue her mother's kidnappers and mount a rescue. While this offers insight into the nuances of scriptology it makes for a narrative that is often surprisingly dry despite madcap chases and boisterous secondary characters.
Ink, Iron, and Glass is an entertaining story with fascinating if sometimes hastily sketched characters and world building. Fans will be eager for the sequel after the shocking conclusion of this volume. Recommended for readers who enjoy plot-driven stories and have a fondness for steampunk settings.
Possible Pairings: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger, Invictus by Ryan Graudin, The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove, The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski, These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
There are no limits to how complex a worldbook can be--something scriptologists and the world at large learned when Charles Montaigne created Veldana--the first populated world created with scriptology. After Jumi, a talented scriptologist in her own right, helped her people secure their independence Veldana remains the only populated scriptologist world.
Now in 1891 Jumi's daughter Elsa is looking forward to the day when she can take on a larger role helping her mother maintain the Veldana worldbook and pursuing her other scientific interests.
Those plans change abruptly and violently when Veldana is attacked and her mother is kidnapped. Forced to flee Veldana Elsa finds herself in the real world with no way to get home or even know if the Veldana worldbook still exists.
With no option but to move forward Elsa travels to Sicily with her mother's mentor to regroup and find help. Among the pazzerellones Elsa learns about the madness that fuels innovation here--a singular interest in scriptology, mechanics, or other sciences that manifests as madness, particularly for the rare few polymaths whose interests cross multiple disciplines.
Uncertain who to trust or where to begin, Elsa seeks help from the other madboys and madgirls she encounters including calculating Porzia and mechanist Leo. With the right tools Elsa can write almost anything she can imagine into existence but she still doesn't know if that will be enough to save her entire world in Ink, Iron, and Glass (2018) by Gwendolyn Clare.
Ink, Iron, and Glass is Clare's debut novel and the start to a duology.
This novel is a refreshing blend of adventure and excitement with a heroine who is both pragmatic and scientifically inclined. Clare's world borrows from real historic events to build the bones of her alternate history filled with scientific madness and steampunk elements including automated machines, talking houses, and more.
The main sticking point with Clare's complex and well-realized world (and for me it was a big one) is the concept of an affinity for the sciences being construed as madness. There are no negative connotations to this madness--nor is there any discussion of what mental illness might look like in this world--but the intense gendering of the madness by calling those who have it "madboys" or "madgirls" was incredibly frustrating and served no purpose in the larger context of the story. If you poke too hard at this aspect of the world and the conceit that all great innovation is tied to madness and a complete lack of focus on the big picture (the idea being that the mad ones can focus on nothing but their chosen sciences) the premise starts to fall apart.
Despite an exceedingly large ensemble cast, Elsa spends much of the novel in her own head as she works through using her mechanical and scriptological talents to pursue her mother's kidnappers and mount a rescue. While this offers insight into the nuances of scriptology it makes for a narrative that is often surprisingly dry despite madcap chases and boisterous secondary characters.
Ink, Iron, and Glass is an entertaining story with fascinating if sometimes hastily sketched characters and world building. Fans will be eager for the sequel after the shocking conclusion of this volume. Recommended for readers who enjoy plot-driven stories and have a fondness for steampunk settings.
Possible Pairings: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger, Invictus by Ryan Graudin, The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove, The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski, These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
ginalyn's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book has a wonderful way of weaving together Victorian Italy and a face paced adventure. It creates the atmosphere of the time period but gives you a quick ability to focus on the action. I loved the main character. She is witty and fun but nothing so immovable as to not allow herself to change as a young woman. She is questioning everything in a way that is just someone trying to figure out the world not someone incapable of new things. The people she meets along the way are interesting and diverse and not always likable. It was so interesting and the ending left me craving the next book!
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Oh, if only "ink" weren't in the title: the creation of a world by writing it can only draw comparison to Funke's Inkheart. And this doesn't deserve that comparison because it's not close to being the same thing. But then, there are bits of Narnia (the World Between the Worlds) and other novels inside.
The world that Clare has created here is a great mix of European steampunk and what might be called pre-industrial, with call outs to writers and events that teens may (I hope) be interested in seeking more information about. Example? Garibaldi's unification of Italy. Which was an interesting choice of focal point, IMVHO, because Italy and that history is not a common setting for us (France and Amsterdam also play fleeting roles).
How this plays out, and what happens in the "real" world that Elsa comes from (although I suspect a love triangle in the next book, which... really hoping not) I can't wait to read.
ARC provided by publisher.
The world that Clare has created here is a great mix of European steampunk and what might be called pre-industrial, with call outs to writers and events that teens may (I hope) be interested in seeking more information about. Example? Garibaldi's unification of Italy. Which was an interesting choice of focal point, IMVHO, because Italy and that history is not a common setting for us (France and Amsterdam also play fleeting roles).
How this plays out, and what happens in the "real" world that Elsa comes from (although I suspect a love triangle in the next book, which... really hoping not) I can't wait to read.
ARC provided by publisher.
marie_lrj's review against another edition
4.0
Why is this book not getting more attention?! I loved it! Alternate, steampunk version of Italy, amazingly cool concept of writing new worlds into being (scriptology), and a feel that reminds me a little of Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series. Very excited for the next one!