Book Reviews

Book Blurb

In a land defined by war, Mika and Tarv are Inkbound, tied to each other through magical tattoos that allow them to communicate over distances to pass tactical information from legion to legion. The bond creates other side effects, as well -- effects the generals would rather ignore.

 

When Tarv's legion is attacked, his bond to Mika disappears. Mika is left alone, with no idea what his future might hold -- for when one Inkbound man dies, often the other one does too.

 

Book Review

This story is an interesting take on using bonded couples for war. Actually, they are linked by magic and split up so different legions can communicate long distance. Cruel? Yes. Would we have done it in the past, before radios, if we could have? I'm pretty sure the answer to that is yes. What Elizabeth Jewell has done here is build an entire world, including the magic needed to maintain these "living tattoos" that behave a lot like holograms, then added the human side to show the point of view of the victims and what happens to them if the bond breaks.

Mika tells the story, and my heart broke for him and what he had to go through. He's taken from his home at a young age, trained to bond with Tarv, then separated so they can relay messages for the military as they fight the enemy. The pain he feels when the bond breaks and his slow recovery that follows crushed me. And when I found out what actually happened, it only got more hopeless. I feared the worst (and I hate unhappy endings!), but the story had to go the way it did, and at least the author managed to give me a glimmer of hope at the end. Very clever, and I am very grateful.

If you like stories set in a fantasy-like past where magic is used the way we use methods of modern communication like a radio or a cell phone, if you're looking for a magical, yet harrowing tale of deep love underneath it all, and if you think you can take your heart breaking and slowly being put back together again, then you will probably like this short story.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Changeling Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 40 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	13-December-2013
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2169