Genre: Quiet Fantasy
LGBTQ+ Category: Ace, Bi, Demi, Gay, Gender Fluid, Lesbian, Non-Binary, Poly, Trans FTM, Trans MTF
Reviewer: Beáta
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About The Book
Xelle is marked as dragonfriend. Arriving at To’Ever under a veil of unease and an uncertain future, she must redefine herself. Again. Inkbloom continues the story of Night Ivy, a wandering bard’s tale of magic and friendship amidst the spires and shadows of the seven towers of Alyssia.
The second book in the fantasy world of Alyssia, featuring plant magic, friendship, and dragons.
The Review
In the second book of the Alyssia series, Xelle continues her education as a magician, while also trying to figure out the conspiracy behind the forced relocation of the dragons. Her refusal to pledge herself to a tower and a branch of magic excludes her from the broader mage society, and she is constantly belittled by the very same people she is working for. Xelle is forced to figure things out herself, be it powerful magical plants or her place in her world.
I have not yet read Night Ivy, the first book of the series. Before signing up for this review, I asked if I would be able to follow the story without it, and the author herself claimed that yes, you can start with Inkbloom. This both is and isn’t true: The book does contain a summary of the first novel (which I very much wish was more common in book series), so you will understand the plot. However, the emotional connections to the characters and their world, that have been no doubt established in Night Ivy, are still missing, so that it becomes somewhat more difficult to fully immerse yourself into the story.
What I’m saying is: Start with the first book.
But nevertheless, I liked it.
I had seen this series on the review list before, and hesitated, because both the plot and the worldbuilding sounded too familiar. Magicians live in separate towers according what kind of magic they practice, and there is a conspiracy involving dragons. I have read this story before, probably multiple times.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. For one, I did like the concept of the Inkbloom, although the entire plant-based magic must have been properly explained in the first book, so I was definitely missing some nuances there. But what really sold this book for me is Xelle’s arc of refusing to pledge herself to a single tower, and how she slowly comes to the realization that she can belong to multiple places without being worth any less than her peers. Such a delightful, queer take on that trope.
Talking about queer: The world this story is set in is very queernormative. It is normal there to introduce oneself with one’s pronouns, and multiple characters use neopronouns. This is all just background – the real focus of the story is dragons and magic conspiracies.
I am sold on this series. I would very much like to read the rest, too, although I will be careful this time to actually start with Night Ivy.
The Reviewer
Beáta Fülöp is an aspiring filmmaker and writer. She identifies as aromantic and asexual, and has an autistic Special Interest in the representation of minorities. One day, she will use this knowledge in her own stories. Until then, she is happy to sit here and give her opinion on other people’s hard work.
