4.5 stars

"Ah! You can speak truths. I was really beginning to worry it was a medical condition."

I absolutely loved how we're immediately introduced to the story, there's no staggering of any sort, we jump right into it. And Smejkal does that without compromising the world-building or the characters whatsoever. We see event after event unravelling and I really have to commend the author on building such a wonderful world where ink is revered and tattoos are regarded as blessings from the Divine. The plot was fast-paced in the beginning and slowed down just a bit only to throw a huge plot twist in your face.

I was actually a bit surprised at how quickly I got attached to the characters. Both Celia and Anya won over my heart in the first few chapters. They fiercely love each other and would do anything to protect themselves and their little theatre tribe. Speaking of the characters in the travelling theatre group, Vincent and the plague doctor were two of my favourites with Kitty Kay following close behind.

Ink in the Blood is quite a ride. This dark fantasy novel is a unique and intriguing story that is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Melissa Albert.

This book combines magic, religion, gender fluidity and two strong (yet different) female characters sharing an amazing and deep friendship.

This story is beautifully written, though I had to read this book slower than usual because as a reader, to fully grasp the story, you need to take your time and enjoy the details. Once I slowed down, this story is simply amazing. The magic is simple, but unique in the way tattoos are used. 

The novel is also LGBT oriented with gender fluidity. This is the second book I read this month where the pronoun “they” is used to identify a neutral gender character. My brain is, fortunately, getting used to it even if I had to read it again to make sure the narrator was speaking to only one person. The main character, Celia, is bisexual.

Did I mention that the characters pick their own name? How cool is that!

Another part that I enjoyed was how spectacular and dark the story can be. Celia and Anya are forced to join a theater troupe to escape their life as Inklings where they early on discovered that the privilege hid a brutal way of life and a prison, all in the name of a deity.

The friendship between the two characters is beautiful. They go through a lot together and have each other’s back. The theater group is a very interesting group that brought colors to the story, especially the Plague Doctor. I loved him!

I can’t wait to read the second book. This book is a wonderful read and highly recommend.

I struggled somewhat with this one. The concept was interesting. Smekjal has created a truly complex world here, inventing a religion that makes sense to the reader and creating sensible rules. Even the discovery of the truth behind their religion is more complex than you might expect. It's a story about the corruption of power and desperation both. I liked a lot of the elements in the book, toeing the subtle line between condemning corruption and recommending religion itself. My problems are mostly related to pacing. It felt very slow and very long.

Okay so, this book was definitely a fun read! The characters are all quirky and unique. I remember them. I actually like and care about them. The characters are strong in this book! The magic system is also something I have never seen before. Tattoo magic? Hello, sign me up! 

The world building is also a strength of this book. The religion, the towns and cities, the atmosphere, it is all very tangible and believable that I found I could get sucked into the pages and appear right then and there in the middle of the story.

You have action, adventure, lies, mystery, a little dash of flirtatious romance and bam, you have an excellent book! The reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because it does take a little bit to set up. The beginning feels slow, despite the awesome information and set up you are getting. Still, this book is completely worth a read!


Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

When a thin black line appears on your skin, your destiny becomes intertwined with the Divine. In Profeta, there is a higher calling to be an inkling who can use tattoo magic to transfer images, or symbols, to reflect the will of the Divine to citizens lest they all fall astray to the fallen ways of Diavala. While believers follow the temple of the Divine and the High Mistico - who holds the ear of the Divine - after years of service, inkling Celia Sand knows better than to place her faith in the Divine.


Although she might be deemed as a heretic and cruelly punished for her lack of belief, the reality of the temple's brutal ways to tattoo people in accordance to their own ambitions leaves Celia and her best friend, Anya Bartoni, with clear eyes beyond the temple's institution. At any chance, they seize the opportunity to rebel against the system they're forced to maintain whether that be an image open to different interpretations, an incomplete tattoo, or initials hidden in designs .....anything to take arms against the Divine's dominance over their lives until they can escape.


When the opportunity to leave Profeta presents itself in the form of the traveling theatrical troupe, the Rabble Mob of Minos, Celia and Anya must put on a performance like no other in order to claim a place among the theater family. What they end up creating is the ultimate way to free themselves: the Devil in the Bell Jar. 


Even though the Rabble Mob follows the style of a traditional Commedia Follia, Celia and Anya's act turns the foundation of their society sideways. Audiences begin to question what makes an angel or a devil and if the one wearing an angel's wings is in fact a devil in disguise while the bell jar traps the ugly truth of humanity. 


Just when life seems to settle with the traveling ways of the Rabble Mob, the Divine pays a visit to Celia. A far cry from her benevolent portrayal, the Divine is an angry being who does not take kindly to Celia's rebellion. However, there is a road to redemption by using the Devil in the Bell Jar - and the Rebel Mob - to elevate the name of the Divine. 


For Celia, family is everything and she'll stop at nothing, not even Diavala herself, to protect those she holds dear.


Prepare to set forth on the stage of Profeta and onto a colorful world where plague doctors hide themselves behind their mask, the Divine and Diavala dance hand in hand, and a young woman holds onto her steadfast spirit.


See what happens to the world when the true Devil in the Bell Jar is let loose.


In this work, author Kim Smejkal uses the ink in her blood to weave a story that makes your bones hum. Line by line, the pages of Ink in the Blood that paint Celia's world are shaded with vibrant imagination that pushes beyond the boundaries of the page's borders. For me, Ink in the Blood was a fantastic read that weaves the bonds of friendship with a red thread and raises the curtain of the theater's magic to create a memorable world that will leave you reeling for the sequel.

I first fell in love with this book when I saw the cover reveal last year, and friends, let me tell you that the insides of this dark fantasy debut from Kim Smejkal most certainly match!

Smekjal’s writing is lush and beautiful with beautiful descriptions but is also fast-paced and engaging. The book opens up in media res and we jump into the fray with Celia. The action, character introduction, and worldbuilding are all introduced slowly while not sacrificing one aspect of the story for another.

It is worth noting that the tone of the first act of the book (about 120 pages) doesn’t really hold a candle to the rest of the book. While I was interested in the day-to-day of inkling life in the temple, as well as Celia and Anya’s careful exploitation of doctrinal loopholes, the book really shifts at the end of Act I. The first section interesting and full of important groundwork, but everything clicks in a truly magical way on page 140 and I was hopelessly addicted. If you try the book and struggle a bit, I do recommend trying to get to this point before deciding to set it aside.

I absolutely fell hard for Celia and Anya within four chapters. Their fierce loyalty to one another and deep friendship warms my heart just thinking about it now. They are both so brave! From their little acts of defiance to outright fleeing from the temple with a traveling theatre troupe to spoiler-y things I won’t talk about, every choice they make is an impossible one, but one they ultimately make out of love for one another.

“You two are bright stars in the Rabble Mob, and the Rabble Mob is family.”

If there’s one thing that I love more than tattoos, it is probably theatre, so imagine my glee when we meet the Rabble Mob theatre troupe! And this group of characters is gloriously fantastic. I love how everyone feels like a real person, with goals and a personality, regardless of how much “page-time” they have. I’ve got a confession to make…. my favorite character of the book is the Plague Doctor. I guess I like my guys with an air of mystery and mirth, but whatever. I really enjoyed learning about his character as he became comfortable enough to share and need to protect him always.

“You see, a plague doctor isn’t much of a doctor at all. We’re the ones left behind after all the real doctors leave. We tally the dead. We hold hands and stand sentry at bedsides. When the rest of the world flees, we become the unfortunate mask of any remaining humanity.”

This book and world is gloriously inclusive, and many LGBTQIAP+ readers will be able to find themselves in the story. Every character has a tenor (think aura) that essentially shows their identity to others. But the tenors are fluid and can change over time. I really enjoyed this aspect a lot. Everyone’s identity is accepted without question, which goes to show how having your labels readily available can make such an impact. This book features pan, ace, nonbinary, and trans characters as well as on-the-page m/m, f/f, and nb/m representation.

“Ink equals manipulation. Ink equals bondage. Ink equals tyranny.”

I really enjoy books that explore religious themes and have religious systems as part of the worldbuilding. The Profeta religion is at the heart of Ink in the Blood with Celia and Anya questioning their role as inklings, finding clever loopholes to skirt the rules, and ultimately running away from the temple. While themes of corruption and stripping individual freedom from believers are explored, I like that it is done in a way that doesn’t necessarily vilify the people who find comfort from Profeta, and Celia’s narrative is quick to remind us of that. The critiques are largely about choice and not the teachings themselves, which I really appreciate.

Overall, I loved Ink in the Blood! Once Act II started, I was hopelessly sucked into the story and read the book for hours. The magic system of divine tattoos is so unique, and I simply adore the world that Smejkal created. I’ll just be sitting here anxiously looking forward to the second book in this duology & recommending this to everyone until 2021.

Content warnings: (I didn’t take notes while reading, I am so sorry) mental abuse, violence
Representation: ace rep, f/f rep, m/m rep, nb/m rep, nonbinary rep, pansexual rep, trans rep

ARC provided by the publisher – HMH Books for Young Readers – and FFBC in exchange for my honest review as part of the blog tour. This does not affect the content of my review. Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and subject to change upon final publication.

This pains me to say, but I DNF'd this baby pretty quickly.

I was in love with the idea of tattoo magic, and was hoping for some kickass characters and an insane world to fall into. But instead I was left having trouble keeping my eyes open. I found it a bit dull and a little difficult to follow that characters and what was being described. Maybe it's just me, but I just didn't get pulled in like I thought I would. I had to reread sentences over and over, but nothing would stick. Maybe I can revisit this at a different time and it will be better for me, but for now...no thanks.

Ink in the Blood was kind off a fail for me. I liked the storyline but I just had a difficult time getting into it. I think it may be because of the writing style, not that it's bad, just something I'm not use to. I wanted to love this book as I am a big fan and tarts and magic, but it just felt a little jumbled and I had a hard time following along with things.

Quirky, with colorful and vivid descriptions, tattoo magic, vibes of ‘The Night Circus’ and great LGBT representation, Ink in the Blood is a new release you just have to read. If I haven’t convinced you yet, I must add that the main characters are strong-willed, rebellious and mysterious, the significance of friendship is pinpointed in the most amazing way, the atmosphere is magical and the world-building is rich in details that make the setting a dreamy, iconic environment. In a few words, it’s a dark YA fantasy that has a weirdness I, personally, adore.

The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is that it takes its time to get to the point and, as a result, the beginning is weaker than the second half of the book. You have to be patient to reach the good stuff but, believe me, they are REALLY worth it!

Kim Smejkal has my attention from now on, and I can’t wait for the second book in the series!

I received this e-arc from NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I loved all the queer rep in this one but the story was unfortunately not for me. It was an interesting fantasy world but couldn't hold my attention.

I really enjoyed this book. The plague doctor character has weaseled his way into my heart. The story was unique and fast paced. The only reason I didn't give it a five star is because occasionally (mostly in the beginning) it was hard for me to follow. I look forward to the next installment. Fingers crossed for more plague doctor!

I could not wait to pick up this new YA debut. Dark fantasy? Check. Original magic system? Double check. Character driven? Check again. Blending magic and religion and tattoos into one magical concept? Well..yeah, that too. I knew when I read the synopsis of Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal that I wanted to be one of the readers on her book tour.

Even better than all of that? I really liked this book.

Ink in the Blood is not your usual YA fantasy story. Not only is the prose dark and beautiful in a way that’s almost poetic, but the concepts are deep and vast and truly ask the reader to think about these things for themselves. I love dark fantasy, and when darker topics are threaded into a magical world, and this book showed off that strength in spades. Smejkal does an incredible job of still keeping the book light and quick, while also exploring some of the dark corners of our minds and our capabilities as human beings.

One of my favorite things about this book has to be the magic system. I was fascinated by this link between tattoos and religion and magic from the beginning, but Smejkal does not her readers down when it came to the meat of that concert. The magic system in this book is creative, original, fresh, and you can tell that the author thought a lot about how it worked and how she wanted it these powers to further the story. I thought it was masterful.

Another of the joys inside Ink in the Blood is the relationship between Celia and Anya. I love seeing more and more LGBTQ+ representation in YA, and especially in fantasy. I love reading stories that are queer stories, but that aren’t about the characters queerness, and this was a great one. Their relationship, and deep friendship, is fierce and relatable, not to mention a great example for all of the strong, young women today.

I’m not personally a huge fan of the circus/performer setting that’s big right now and also is used in this novel, but I will say this: it didn’t stop me from enjoying this book to its fullest. While it does take some time to ramp up into an un-put-down-able story, it does eventually get there and then you’re stuck. By the end of the story, I wanted more.

Ink in the Blood was dark, fresh, original, and full of magic and love and fierce women. If any of these things appeal to you, this book is right up your alley. And if they don’t, maybe try it out anyway. YA is continuing to go in more and more interesting directions and I look forward to seeing what else Smejkal writes for us in the future.

5 theatrical stars

I would read this over and over. A gritty traveling circus, the angel v. the devil, romantic tension to CUT a KNIFE, tattoos, diverse orientations, and again for the people in the back romantic tension on POINT.

Concept: ★★★★★
Romance elements: literally the best in YA, it is FRESH
Imagery: ★★★★★ *chef's kiss*

So I don't care what's on your TBR for this month. Make room for Ink in the Blood.

If you loved the Night Circus for its iconic imagery and archetypal romance figures that were players on a stage as well as flesh and blood love interests, you'll love this.

If you liked the gritty, broken shards of Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows, just wait until you meet the plague doctor, a man who never takes off his sharp-edged mask because he's already died once and he's too much for your eyes. He's the ringmaster of the troupe, the reminder that death is always waiting, and he'll tempt you to the devil if you'll let him.

But he's not the devil—its Celia, our protagonist, who dons the horns and lies and smoke to hide from herself and her Divine. She believes she can coat herself in enough lies to save herself from her fate. But can she run from the ink in her blood?

Ink in the Blood is all of the above, plus a one-of-a-kind religious system based on tattoos, the Divine, Diavala (the devil), and a matriarchal plot line that feels like the perfect amount of grit, soul, and lying diamonds.

I know the blurb mentions a lot of things, and some of them are what I've said and some of them just allude to things to come. Please don't be disillusioned by the first few chapters. I was, and I thought this was going to be a very different book. But, I promise, it's not. Get to the circus. It is perfection from there.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Holy moly this book gripped me from start to finish! It is the strangest, most atmospheric and mesmerising book I have ever read.
Filled with tattoo magic, dramatic performances and a vengeful god. I mean, what wasn't there to like?! There is also so many characters that represent the LGBTQ+ community and it flowed seamlessly and was beautiful to see such an array of people portrayed as unique and interesting characters. 
The storyline and worldbuilding was awesome with a magical tyrannical religion at the forefront and the most incredible mob of performers.
What I really loved was that I could never guess where the story was going to go and it shocked me to the final page. I also adored that not only did the main characters have depth and intricate backgrounds but the side characters too. I felt connected to them all which is an incredibly hard thing to master. 

If you love fantasy a little dark and twisty then you will love this. I really recommend it and hope that it is the success it deserves to be.

This ebook was gifted in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you HMH Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anya and Celia live in another world, different from ours, where the one true religion Profeta rules the hearts and minds of the people. As Inklings, Anya and Celia tattoo the followers of Diavala, Profeta's deity, with divinely inspired images and symbols meant to inform and manifest each recipient's unique destiny. Eventually, this holy work wears on the pair, and the girls abandon their sacred calling and flee in the company of the Rabble Mob, traveling entertainers who welcome the girls into the fold. Unfortunately, in a world that turns only by divine will, these two may find it difficult to escape Diavala, and may find that even the things they imagined were not real want to subvert and upend their desire for freedom from life defined by worship, blood, and free-flowing ink.

I really enjoyed how Anya and Celia stuck together and supported each other in Ink in the Blood. The themes and world-building had many unique aspects blended with some recognizable building blocks (magical acts may ring a bell if you enjoyed Caraval). A big strength of the book is the formation of a unique culture that these girls must navigate, and I like that Kim Smejkal explored the implications of this culture and how it affected society. If you're looking for a blend of magic, strong friendship, dangerous deities, unique magic, and a fight for freedom from an oppressive, deceitful culture, look no further than Ink in the Blood.

“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑏, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑏 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦.”
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Celia and Anya are inklings and best friends. Their lives have consisted of inking divine messages on the people of Illinia. As inklings in the Profeta religion they are taught to ink and obey through very abusive and gruesome methods. They decide they have had enough and, against all odds they run from their life to join the Rabble Mob.
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I really loved this story. Magical tattoos, dark atmosphere, LGBTQIA+ representation, travelling carnival setting... everything worked for me! And the Plague Doctor was the perfect mysterious love interest. Also, the book has a gorgeous map in the front and I love a good map!
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Kim has created this magical world in my favorite story setting. The magic was unique and interesting without being too confusing to understand. The characters (while there were many) were well written. The world building, for a travelling setting, was really well done. I only wonder how with such a seemingly tied up ending where we go in Curse of the Divine next.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and HMH Books for Young Readers for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Okay do you know how freaking shook I was when I saw that this book was going to center around tattoo magic?! Like, I think about all the tattoos that I currently have and all the tattoos that I wish I could get right away and then I think about how much it would be so cool to have so much tattoo magic in general and wow. I just could not believe that this book was in the world and that I had the opportunity to read it early.

And I’m so freaking glad for all the queer rep in this novel because I swear people sleep on queer rep in YA novels for some reason and you definitely should not. This book was something that I have never seen in the YA world, or in general and I thought it was one of my favorite reads for the year so far.

Then there’s not only the tattoo magic, and the queer rep, but we also got another circus/carnival setting novel and those are few for me. I think the only one that I really read was Caraval, and I only read the first book. So while I know there may be some other novels about there with some circus / carnival settings, there really hasn’t been a lot for ME that I have read, and being in this kind of setting again on top of everything else was absolutely great.

Ugh, I just freaking loved this novel. I seriously can’t wait for the sequel and I wouldn’t even be ashamed reading this again this year. Or even this month. No shame, whatsoever.

<B><U>3.5 STARS</u></b>

This was a bit of an intimidating read for me -- almost 450 pages of YA high fantasy -- but I was surprised at how quickly I read through it. 

The plot was a bit convoluted and confusing at times. There were A LOT of things going on: the religion Profeta, the deity Divine and the trickster Diavala and their origin story, the tattoo magic, the concept of Rovers and traveling theatre troupes, the type of shows the troupe put on, the layout of the cities and countries, and the seemingly unnecessary "tenors" in order to denote a character's gender preference. However, the end of Act 1 really intrigued me and kept me motivated to finish out the book. 

I did love the overall story of the Divine and Diavala, of Profeta, of the rebellion Celia and Anya sparked. I had some issues with the characters themselves. Celia felt inconsistent to me. I couldn't figure out if she was supposed to be timid and self-destructive, or confident. She seemed like a different person entirely in her dialogue with the plague doctor. And for all their kinship, I felt as though I didn't ever get a full understanding of who Anya is. 

This was a high concept piece of literature, especially one considered YA. But it was very easy to read and immersive, and I enjoyed being in the world of Illinia. The ending left a lot open to interpretation, but I'm ultimately not sure if I'm intrigued enough to follow up with these characters. Thanks to Netgalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for the ARC -- this dark fantasy comes out <I>this</i> Tuesday, February 11, 2020!

The religion Profeta uses tattoo magic to lead its followers, and consequently, to keep them in line. Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni are “inklings.” After four years of rigorous training and punishment, they have the divine gift of sending the prophecies to followers in the form of a tattoo. After ten years in service, they realize that all of it is lies. Tradition built on controlling people and blocking them from choosing their own destinies. When they run away to join The Mob (basically a travelling circus), they’ll hatch a plan to end the deception and free the people, but it just might cost them their lives.

First off, peep that cover! I love the elements of traditional tattooing, and it really draws you in. Overall, this book had some pretty key elements to suck me in. Tattoos. Magic. A travelling circus. Queer kids. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I had a few issues, and I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped. I can’t go in depth here about the few issues I had, because, spoilers, so how about a few of the things I did like.

I love a good us against them/fighting the system story, and in this regard, this book delivered. The plot is pretty intricately weaved to both build a strong world, and through the will of its characters, attempt to dismantle it completely through rebellion. The worldbuilding was so impressive. I love getting lost in a good fantasy, and Smejkal nailed it. The whole religion surrounding the tattoo magic, it’s rigorous standards and rules and the tiny ways in which people can break those rules really built up the tiny cracks in the system that allowed rebellion to grow.

I loved the characters. Celia is perfectly flawed and her relationship with Anya makes her a better person. She says at least once in the book that she would have fallen to darkness long ago if not for Anya. We kind of see that in the opening scene, when Celia is embarrassingly drunk and Anya has to take care of her and help her hide her indiscretion to avoid punishment at the temple. I did feel like I didn’t get to know Anya as much as I might have wanted. She seems to exist solely in the context of Celia’s story. Granted, it’s Celia’s story, but I felt that Anya had a role to play and that was her whole point. I don’t think she was a totally flat character by any means, but I would have liked to know her a little more, I think.

It’s out on Tuesday, so if you’re into dark tales with cool, dystopian elements and don’t mind being slightly wrecked by a book, definitely check this one out. I am not completely swayed to continue with the next book, but I have a whole year to decide, so perhaps that will be enough time for me to get over this one and find out what happens next.

I had a really rough time getting into this book, even though the premise captured me immediately. I love the idea of tattoos as a form of magic and manipulation. But, unfortunately, I crawled through the first chapter and could never really get engaged after that. But I do applaud this book for its inclusivity and it’s take on gender identity. I couldn’t be more thrilled that YA authors are embracing more diverse characters faster than the rest of the industry. 
I’d like to revisit this book in the future to see if I have a better time with it.