Ink and Bone

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Age: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

“Books will never be just a business to you."

Marta Thinks: Finished with Ink and Bone, I was left with the feeling that the book could easily be compared to Harry Potter. As I looked through over Goodreads reviews, I can see that I certainly wasn’t the only one and it’s not hard to figure out why — we begin with an outsider (a young boy called Jess) who is introduced to a whole new world, as he passes the exam that will allow to study at The Great Library in Alexandria. From there, the book plunges into an immersive world with vivid characters. However, Ink and Bone manages to stand well on its own and there is no sort of feeling that it comes secondary to Harry Potter or that it is a rip-off in any way.
The strongest point of this book lies in its characters. Jess has a strong and smart voice and – best of all, just like everyone else reading Ink and Bone, he is a book-lover who holds books and the knowledge they possess sacred. We are introduced to the new world through Jess’s eyes and his careful and interesting analysis is a joy to read. Alongside Jess, we can find a variety of diverse characters, who all come from different parts of the world. Most especially, I must commend Caine for introducing various female characters, not all of whom are necessarily likable but respectable in their own right.

My only real quip is that the beginning was slow, so slow that I almost gave up after the first forty pages. My advice would be to keep pushing forward as Rachel Caine undoubtedly rewards you for your patience!