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A review by cmagnan
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
2.0
An interesting, maybe even remarkable world that's not short on conflict and all the mechanics needed to pressure cook a tense plot. Unfortunately, the characters fell flat for me, almost without exception. I'm writing this weeks after reading the novel, and I can't remember the name of a single character. Some of that's on my swiss cheese brain, but some of that stems from just not caring.
The protagonist was unlikeable, which is fine, but he was also not particularly interesting. He is gifted, of course, in a way that few are and that makes him remarkable, blah blah blah, now he's a protagonist. I did find his double-life stuff interesting, and wish his allegiances were either clearer or more tried. I thought his brother was far more interesting and I wish we followed him around.
Our protagonist falls for a girl, the only girl available to fall for, in fact, in one of the least earned romances I've read in a while. Neither of them has any reason to like the other. That's groan-worthy on it's own, but much of the third act hinges on the reader caring about these two characters as an item. I've stressed out more about seeing two halves an Oreo cookie separated than I ever did to see these two supposed lovebirds get together.
This is essentially a book about books, which I should be into. And I was, sometimes, but if every character died in a train crash and the story continued from a fresh POV, I don't think I would have been especially bothered.
And you know what? I think this the wrong character's story. The girl has a more compelling tale, and a more interesting gift, and maybe if she'd been the protagonist I would remember her name.
The protagonist was unlikeable, which is fine, but he was also not particularly interesting. He is gifted, of course, in a way that few are and that makes him remarkable, blah blah blah, now he's a protagonist. I did find his double-life stuff interesting, and wish his allegiances were either clearer or more tried. I thought his brother was far more interesting and I wish we followed him around.
Our protagonist falls for a girl, the only girl available to fall for, in fact, in one of the least earned romances I've read in a while. Neither of them has any reason to like the other. That's groan-worthy on it's own, but much of the third act hinges on the reader caring about these two characters as an item. I've stressed out more about seeing two halves an Oreo cookie separated than I ever did to see these two supposed lovebirds get together.
This is essentially a book about books, which I should be into. And I was, sometimes, but if every character died in a train crash and the story continued from a fresh POV, I don't think I would have been especially bothered.
And you know what? I think this the wrong character's story. The girl has a more compelling tale, and a more interesting gift, and maybe if she'd been the protagonist I would remember her name.