Ink In The Blood

by Kim Smejkal

Overview

A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.
 
Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine’s will and guide the actions of the recipients. It’s considered a noble calling, but ten years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.
 
Their opportunity to escape arrives with the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. Using their inkling abilities for performance instead of propaganda, Celia and Anya are content for the first time . . . until they realize who followed them. The Divine they never believed in is very real, very angry, and determined to use Celia, Anya, and the Rabble Mob’s now-infamous stage to spread her deceitful influence even further.
 
To protect their new family from the wrath of a malicious deity and the zealots who work in her name, Celia and Anya must unmask the biggest lie of all—Profeta itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328557056
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/11/2020
Series:	Ink in the Blood Duology
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	1,027,373
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.60(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kim Smejkal lives with her family on Vancouver Island in Canada, which means she’s often lost in the woods or wandering a beach. She writes dark fantasy for young adults and not-so-young adults, always with a touch of magic.
kimsmejkal.com
Twitter: @KimSmejkal
Instagram: @kimsmejkal
 

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/02/2019

Celia Sand and Anya Burtoni serve the Profeta religion as inklings, using magic to tattoo the faithful with images purported to offer Divine guidance. Non- believers since their conscription at age six, the 16-year-olds now feel certain the messages they convey come not from the heavens but from Profeta’s mortal bureaucracy, and are meant not to save but to subvert free will. The girls flee, joining a slyly seditious traveling theater troupe dubbed the Rabble Mob of Minos. Crafting an act that disguises their Profeta-given talent as a parlor trick, Celia and Anya attract ample attention, including that of the Divine. The vengeful, power-hungry deity orders the wayward inklings to help expand her following using their performances as propaganda. If they refuse, their newfound friends will pay the price. First in a planned duology, Smejkal’s exceptional debut champions solidarity and choice while extolling art’s ability to spark revolution. Fierce friendships, fraught romance, and sharply drawn, emotionally complex characters of sundry gender identities and sexual orientations elevate the stakes of this ambitious, thought-provoking tale, whose closing cliffhanger inspires and devastates in equal measure. Ages 14–up. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

12/01/2019

Gr 9 Up—"Listen to the ink" is the advice that Celia Sand and Anya Burtoni always follow and give to the recipients of their work. Using their magic as inklings, they tattoo members of the religion Profeta with images that represent the god's wishes. Believing that their work drives the members to goodwill, they eventually learn that they are actually taking away freedom and that the temple is an evil place to live. When the Rabble Mob comes to town with a traveling theater production, Celia and Anya are able to offer their inking services as part of the show, allowing them to escape the imprisonment of the Profeta. However, they are followed by the god, who aims to spread ill will through the traveling show. Faced with the challenge of protecting their new family, they must figure out how to defeat the powerful Profeta. Smejkal has created a dark, engaging world that is the perfect setting for magic and inking. The action doesn't slow down once the main characters escape and learn their true mission, which won't be complete until the sequel of this duology. The queer representation in this book covers a broad spectrum: trans, bisexual, gay, straight, and nonbinary characters will be appreciated by generations to come. VERDICT Fans of dark fantasy and magical atmospheres will anxiously await the sequel to learn Celia's and Anya's fate.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

School Library Journal

2019-11-17
A strong debut that blends dark fantasy, ink magic, and theater.

When Celia was first chosen to be an inkling for the revered religion of Profeta, her mothers were delighted to give away their child to become a servant to the Divine. Using ink magic and tattoos to spread the Divine's will to followers should have been an honor, but Celia and her best friend, Anya, soon learn that lies and torture are at the core of the corrupted religion. Ten years later Celia and Anya manage to escape the temple and join the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. But their happiness and freedom are curtailed when the Divine herself catches up with them, upending everything they thought they knew. Celia will do anything to keep Anya and her new friends safe. The novel examines faith and the power of propaganda in a somewhat convoluted plot that finds its footing toward the end. With a focus on its central platonic female friendship, it also features a well-developed and genuinely touching found family, a slow-burning romance, and the climax to a tragic tale of vengeance that is a thousand years in the making. Celia and Anya are white within a racially diverse world. Every character has a tenor, a visible aura that reflects their chosen, individual gender identity.

The promising first in a duology with inspiring friendships and original worldbuilding. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

? "Fierce friendships, fraught romance, and sharply drawn, emotionally complex characters of sundry gender identities and sexual orientations elevate the stakes of this ambitious, thought-provoking tale, whose closing cliffhanger inspires and devastates in equal measure." —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review "Smejkal’s debut creates an intriguing, enticing world....This is a vivid, imaginative confection with plenty of bite underneath the glitter that will appeal to fans of Holly Black’s signature dark delights." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Smejkal’s smart debut blends magic and religion into a lyrical fantasy....the poetic prose and brilliant characters shine from page one." —Booklist "A strong debut that blends dark fantasy, ink magic, and theater....The promising first in a duology with inspiring friendships and original worldbuilding." —Kirkus "Smejkal has created a dark, engaging world that is the perfect setting for magic and inking." —School Library Journal "Beautiful, dark and complex—Ink in the Blood is a debut with teeth. I can't wait for the sequel!" —Ryan Graudin, award-winning author of Wolf By Wolf "Ink in the Blood is an inventive dark fantasy that doesn't pull its punches and is all the more gripping for it. Wonderfully tense and breathtakingly beautiful, the story of Celia and Anya will burrow under your skin and stay there long after you've finished reading." —Linsey Miller, author of the Mask of Shadows duology and Belle Révolte "Haunting and vividly imagined,Ink in the Blood will crawl beneath your flesh and leave its mark, just like the magical tattoos within.” —Rebecca Schaeffer, author of Not Even Bones —

From the Publisher