Book Review: Inked

Inked by Eric Smith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: January 20, 2015
Source: Netgalley review copy

Tattoos once were an act of rebellion.

Now they decide your destiny the moment the magical Ink settles under your skin.

And in a world where Ink controls your fate, Caenum can't escape soon enough. He is ready to run from his family, and his best friend Dreya, and the home he has known, just to have a chance at a choice.

But when he upsets the very Scribe scheduled to give him his Ink on his eighteenth birthday, he unwittingly sets in motion a series of events that sends the corrupt, magic-fearing government, The Citadel, after him and those he loves.

Now Caenum, Dreya, and their reluctant companion Kenzi must find their way to the Sanctuary, a secret town where those with the gift of magic are safe. Along the way, they learn the truth behind Ink, its dark origins, and why they are the only ones who can stop the Citadel.

Although there were some original elements in Inked, I couldn't help but feel like it was a story I'd read before. There was nothing that really drew me in, and I spent the whole time while I was reading waiting for it to get going. I never warmed up to the characters, setting, plot, or any of it, for that matter.

This might appeal to someone (maybe teenage or younger boys) looking for a book with a male protagonist, but it just wasn't my thing.