ANGEL'S INK by Jocelynn Drake

Angel's Ink
Jocelynn Drake

Rating: C-
Release Date: 10/16/12
Synopsis:
Buyer beware . . .

Looking for a tattoo—and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using unique potions—a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks—to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price.

No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment—execution—will be swift.

Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead—or the secrets of his own past. But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage might just make it through this enchanted world alive.

My thoughts on the book:
I'll be honest, I had high hopes for this novel. In some ways, Angel's Ink lived up to those expectations, and in other ways, I was disappointed. The character development was all right, but the growth was non-existent. The plot made sense, but there were actually too many problems. The pacing was slow, and the ending wasn't anything to write home about. I'll read the next in the series, but I'll check it out from my library first. 

Gage was an interesting character on the surface, but he's apparently the dumbest man on earth. I didn't understand why he did a lot of the things he did. His idiotic actions seemed to be for the sole purpose of pushing the plot forward. The fact that he'd survived for two years on his own prior to this book would make one think that he's intelligent. Well, his actions in the book counteract that. I didn't know which part to believe. 

I loved Trixie in the novella about her, but she was boring and flat in this novel. She's extremely passive and almost weak. I just wasn't her biggest fan. She bored me quickly. Bronx was kind of absent for a lot of the novel, and when he was around he didn't have much of a personality. *yawn* My favorite character was Sofie, the witch turned cat. She was at least interesting. Oh! And Gideon! I loved him. I hope to learn more about him as the series progresses. 

The villains were a bit cheesy, and the other secondary characters didn't offer much to the story. The plot, as I said above, had so many problems that it took away from the suspense felt when a new one occurred. By the 900th one, I was just like, "meh whatever." I didn't care. By the 60% mark, I was ready to just wrap this shit up and move on. Things just dragged out way too long. I think if Gage had been less stupid and if 900 problems weren't introduced for no reason that I can think of, then the book would have been much more enjoyable. OR if the characters had grown as a result of the problems, then I could have understood their presence. As it stands, though, I do not get why they were there. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who love urban fantasy novels. You may very well love it! I, however, only had lukewarm feelings for Angel's Ink.

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