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A review by edshara
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
2.0
As a book lover, I thought I would love this book. Instead I found myself just pushing through it. The first 100+ pages seemed to take forever. In the beginning I found the Ephemera's(I think of them as this world's version of E-mail) were confusing and mentioned characters that weren't initially active in the plot. It was a bit difficult to keep track and I did find myself going back to make sure I kept everyone straight. The last half(or less) of the book was more enjoyable and I did find that I was less confused and somewhat more intrigued with the story.
My main issue with the book was the Library didn't want citizens having actual copies of books, yet they could upload books to a blank(to me a blank was something like an empty e-reader; the Library uploads a book and when you're done it disappears). Now as far as I know, the Library didn't alter what the books said, so what's the big deal if people have actual books on bookshelves. I get it just boils down to control, however, this was just weak to me. Their is a chance that certain topics weren't given to the general public, but I can't be certain about that because I wasn't always fully engaged in the story, so that is something I could have skimmed over.
My next issue is, if a citizen shows signs of creating a certain type of device/machine(I won't say what due to possible spoilers) it is considered heresy. Yet it isn't listed as a Law or publically known that a machine/device like this is illegal. So a citizen can mean well and think they are helping, because the Obscurist's (alchemist's that transfer the text of books, people or machinery) are becoming rare, and instead of a pat on the back, they can be punished. That just didn't make sense to me.
If I can't find the rest of the books in the series at my local library, I won't continue. I'm interested enough to see if it gets any better, but if the only way I can get the books is to purchase them, its not going to happen.
My main issue with the book was the Library didn't want citizens having actual copies of books, yet they could upload books to a blank(to me a blank was something like an empty e-reader; the Library uploads a book and when you're done it disappears). Now as far as I know, the Library didn't alter what the books said, so what's the big deal if people have actual books on bookshelves. I get it just boils down to control, however, this was just weak to me. Their is a chance that certain topics weren't given to the general public, but I can't be certain about that because I wasn't always fully engaged in the story, so that is something I could have skimmed over.
My next issue is, if a citizen shows signs of creating a certain type of device/machine(I won't say what due to possible spoilers) it is considered heresy. Yet it isn't listed as a Law or publically known that a machine/device like this is illegal. So a citizen can mean well and think they are helping, because the Obscurist's (alchemist's that transfer the text of books, people or machinery) are becoming rare, and instead of a pat on the back, they can be punished. That just didn't make sense to me.
If I can't find the rest of the books in the series at my local library, I won't continue. I'm interested enough to see if it gets any better, but if the only way I can get the books is to purchase them, its not going to happen.