Title: Blood & Magic (Ink Chronicles Book 1)
Author: George Barlow
Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism
Book Blurb:
Introducing Blood & Magic, my first urban fantasy novel in the Ink Chronicles Book Series…
Mark didn’t stand a chance. Now the lives of three people will be changed forever and they don’t even know each other yet.
Henry had always known he was different, but just how different, he had no idea. As reality and fantasy collide, Henry needs to adapt quickly to survive, but change really isn’t his thing. With a dilemma in love, a lifetime of training in impossible things to catch up on and an ancient evil (as well as some new ones) out to kill him, life hasn’t got any less stressful.
Meyer is old. He should retire, but he can’t. Unfortunately for him, he made a promise and now he has a boy to train and a murder to solve, with just the help of a caterpillar hunting eccentric and a physiologically scarred cockney.
Alex is ordinary, although she wouldn’t put it like that. Balancing the biggest case of her career and a personal life that is falling apart around her, she has a difficult decision to make. What if the only chance of solving the murder will put more than her career at risk, is it worth it?
Enter a world of magic, murder and mayhem, where a simple motto will serve you well, “Don’t trust anybody.”
My Review:
Henry is your run-of-the-mill guy, working too hard and pining after a woman who only sees him as a friend. That is, until a stranger named Gabriel turns his world inside out. Suddenly, Henry is seeing the world through a new set of eyes and he must adapt quickly or else the beings who want him dead will succeed.
Meyer knows time is running out for him and he must work against the clock to train Henry, find out who’s behind the conspiracy at Headquarters and solve the murders of not one but several beings. But all is not what it appears and as Meyer closes in, his life may be taken before he can finger the guilty party.
Alex is a cop, a good one, and she’s investigating a murder. She’s got a lot to prove and she’s determined to get out from under her father’s shadow. But as the bodies start to pile up, she must face the ugly truth: the murderer may be someone she cares for.
This is my first book by George Barlow and I found it to be an intense fantasy read. This is a whole new world and Barlow does a masterful job introducing characters and world-building. The characters have depth to them and I found myself wondering more about certain characters. There are multiple POV’s, however, and the story arcs were a hair confusing at times.
Like in Harry Potter and The Matrix, there are parallel universes (magic and human) and I enjoyed the cross-overs. The action scenes were realistic yet had enough fantasy to pull it off. There were quite a few twists and turns to the plot that surprised me. The ending was well done and I look forward to the next book in the series.
If you enjoy epic fantasy and are looking for the next Harry Potter, pick up a copy of this book.
My Rating: 4 stars
Buy it now:
Author Biography:
I live by a very simple ethos – good design should speak for itself. I design logos, create amazing websites, marketing materials, and fantastic graphics with one thing in mind. That is not to say my designs are always super-simple! In fact, they can be quite complex, but I never use cheap gimmicks, clutter thing up or detract from the real purpose of the design (to promote your product/service/work). Brilliant products should be sung and shouted about, that is where I come in – helping to promote what you do. Blood and Magic is my first novel.
Social Media Links:
Website http://georgebarlow.co.uk/
Tumblr http://geobarlow.tumblr.com/
Reviewed by: Mrs. N