A review by nicolemhewitt
Invisible by Dawn Metcalf

5.0

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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.***