Ink and Arrows by Shruthi Viswanathan - OPTIONAL

Ink and Arrows by Shruthi Viswanathan, 100+ pages. EBOOK. Shruthi Viswanathan, 2020. $1.

Language: PG13 (12 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Rea, at age 21, is ready to accept imprisonment for the rest of her life after her failed attempt to take vengeance for her father’s death. She’s surprised both by the enemy, Sebestyén, who comes to save her and her impulsive action to live. Trading secrets of magic for wishes, Rea and Sebestyén find more than what they bargained for.

The premise is amazing, though the execution made the story feel more teasing and tantalizing than satisfying. Viswanathan jumps through time very quickly, letting the characters sum up what occurred in the months we didn’t get to read. I think this book would benefit from being expanded upon, allowing readers to have more time with the characters and their growth. If that was my only problem with the book, I would give it a higher rating; however, Rea’s story is riddled with distracting inconsistencies that identify Viswanathan as a new author, and I was disappointed to find a detailed sex scene near the end. I want to love this book, but it isn’t quite at that level.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

ONLY AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK