New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hearne returns to the world of his beloved Iron Druid Chronicles in a spin-off series about an eccentric master of rare magic solving an uncanny mystery in Scotland.“A terrific kick-off of a new, action-packed, enchantingly fun series.”—Booklist Al MacBharrais is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed with an extraordinary white moustache, an appreciation … extraordinary white moustache, an appreciation for craft cocktails—and a most unique magical talent. He can cast spells with magically enchanted ink and he uses his gifts to protect our world from rogue minions of various pantheons, especially the Fae.
But he is also cursed. Anyone who hears his voice will begin to feel an inexplicable hatred for Al, so he can only communicate through the written word or speech apps. And his apprentices keep dying in peculiar freak accidents. As his personal life crumbles around him, he devotes his life to his work, all the while trying to crack the secret of his curse.
But when his latest apprentice, Gordie, turns up dead in his Glasgow flat, Al discovers evidence that Gordie was living a secret life of crime. Now Al is forced to play detective—while avoiding actual detectives who are wondering why death seems to always follow Al. Investigating his apprentice’s death will take him through Scotland’s magical underworld, and he’ll need the help of a mischievous hobgoblin if he’s to survive.
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If you like drawing, ink, Edinburgh, magic, or Kevin Hearne, you are in for a treat. Ink & Sigil is escape reading, and I loved every word.
Kevin Hearne’s Ink & Sigil is a novel that will transport you right into the Scottish realm of fey and fairies and have you thinking the ‘other’ is real. The magic is both familiar and new, believable and extraordinary. I especially liked the curse on the main character. Between the worldbuilding and the clever prose, this one is worth a read.
A good start to a new urban fantasy series. Al is a great protagonist, an older guy who acts every bit his age. He has a past with some baggage and a current problem of a curse that prevents him from directly talking with people. He’s skilled with magic that is helpful but doesn’t make him all-powerful, which keeps matters interesting.
A death of an apprentice makes Al discover that fey are being trafficed to earth for nefarious purposes. Befriending one of the victims makes the matter personal to him and he wants to put a stop to it. It wasn’t a complicated plot, but it kept me entertained to the end. There were some slower patches where the narrative stops for stories, typically of Hearne, but they weren’t overly long this time, and they did add something to the characters’ backstories.
The book is set in Glasgow with a cast of characters that aren’t necessarily typically Scottish despite the accents — or maybe they are. There’s a pornstar hacker, a prizefighter accountant, and a hobgoblin with a knack for embarrassing Al. They are the salt of the book and definitely the reason to keep reading the series. The magic system of special inks and sigils was interesting and well developed. The decision to make everyone speak with an accent worked fairly well; the unnecessary accentuating of differences between British and American cultures not so well, and it came out as ham-fisted. But as a whole, it was a good book and an entertaining read.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
It was such a fun book to read after The Iron Druid series. Can’t wait to read the next.
To lovers of the Dresden Files, Monty Python-esque snarky, suggestive, insulting humor and those who like their supernatural tales light, this Beastie is for you. Kevin Hearne has popped us into Glasgow Scotland, complete with language Primer so we can understand all the daft bits his characters are saying while they unravel an international kidnapping plot in order to modify and weaponize the Fae. Loved it.
An excellent addition to the Iron Druid Universe. Pacing is marvelous and the tension seldom lets up.
A fun read with a hero who is an old geezer with a magical pen saving magical people from a fate worse than death. Finally, a hero I can identify with 🙂
Kevin Hearne has used ink and paper to craft his own brand of magic. Ink & Sigil is filled to the brim with the Hearne-anigans we’ve all grown to love. Fans of ribald humor, literary puns, and the odd hobgoblin will be enchanted by this paranormal mystery.
With Ink & Sigil, Kevin Hearne takes the world he created in his Iron Druid series to a new gonzo level. Al MacBharrais might be his best character yet.
A delightfully grimy journey through the hidden underworld of Glasgow, Ink & Sigil vividly blends Kevin Hearne’s unique take on urban fantasy with the grit of Scottish magic.
Interesting premises. Enjoyed the interplay of characters and the explanations of beings from the other realms. A few too many pop icon references.
Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne is a rollicking good read set in the same universe as was the Iron Druid series by the same author. You don’t need to read the Iron Druid series to thoroughly enjoy Ink & Sigil.
The Pantheons are the same, and the Sigil Agents came about because of a shortage of druids.
Aloysius MacBharrais is one of 5 global Sigil Agents, and the protagonist of Mr. Hearne’s story. The agents exist to maintain the treaties between the various gods and humankind, at times having to kick the buttocks of demons, minor fae and the like, if they take advantage of (or dine on) humans.
Al finds that his recently deceased apprentice was involved in a fae-trafficking ring, and it’s his job to set things right.
This is a well-imagined world, and, unsurprisingly, given Mr. Hearne’s past work, the writing is spot on. Mr. Hearne throws in a wee bit of a challenge by writing the Scotland-based dialog like it sounds in Glasgow. It took a couple of chapters to get used to the dialog, but it totally worked in the story, and I’m now convinced I could order a whisky in any bar in Glasgow.
Thanks to the writing and the characters living inside, this book was a joy to read. I highly recommend it.
I had a really good time with this book! Even though I haven’t quite finished reading the Iron Druid Chronicles, I was excited to see that Kevin Hearne was writing more stories set in the same world. I had originally planned to read this book on my e-reader but I ended up with the audiobook since Luke Daniels does such a good job with this author’s work. I was not disappointed. I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.
This book is set in the same world as the books from the Iron Druid Chronicles. Fans of that series will be happy to be back in the world and will enjoy seeing some familiar characters but this is also a great place for new readers to jump in. I really enjoyed getting to know these new characters and found the whole idea of the sigils to be very interesting.
Al is a great character. I love that he is an older guy just trying to do what needs to be done and get through each day. He takes special precautions to protect others from his curse. The more I learned about Al, the more I liked him. Buck added a nice touch to the story. I was quite entertained by this hobgoblin and thought that he added a really fun element to the story. The two of them make a great, but very unlikely, pair.
I thought that the story was very well done. I was really invested in the mystery and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out. The sigils added a nice element to their quest to get to the bottom of things. I found the police to also be well done. I found the book to be really exciting and quite often hard to put down.
Luke Daniels did a fantastic job with the narration. I liked the different voices that he used and thought that he did an especially great job with the voice app that Al often uses. He added a lot of excitement to the story and was able to capture each character’s personality in his reading. I am glad that I decided to go with the audiobook for this story.
I would recommend this book to others. It was a very well done story with a new spin on some familiar elements. I cannot wait to go on future adventures with Al and Buck!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Publishing – Del Rey via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.
Having only read a couple of short stories from this author about a Druid I came into this book hoping to enjoy it but with no preconceived perceptions and I can only say that I’m exceedingly impressed. Giving us a hero who is sixty three years old and unapologetically human meant that it was original and turned out to be very entertaining. Al has learnt to draw magical sigils and he’s part of an elite team wielding this magical gift to control the balance between Fae and Humans. Set largely in Scotland we follow Al as he investigates exactly what his late apprentice was actually doing and believe me this journey was extraordinary, fabulous and just sheer fun to read.
I really liked Al as he is pragmatic, insightful and ready to do whatever it takes to protect others. The characters that surround him are just too funny for words and yet felt real. There’s bawdy humour to offset the truly vile things that Al discovers but there’s also poignancy as he struggles with the loss of those who he has cared for. This book was a joy to read and I will certainly want to read the next in this series.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
A refreshing take to urban fantasy and magic genres. We follow Al MacBharrais, a blessed and curse man that can cast spells with magically enchanted ink which he uses his gifts to protect our world from rogue minions of various pantheon especially the Fae, who teams up with his sidekick—a mischievous hobgoblin (and probably one of my favorite characters in the entire series) to seek the truth as to why all his former apprentices keep dying from peculiar freak accidents, the secret to his curse, and the investigation to his latest apprentice’s death that will take him through Scotland’s magical underworld.
This was different but a good kind of different. First of all, the lead character was unlike anyone I have read in a long time. He was older than most, (50-ish) with a curse I’m sure no one would wish for. A curse that would make anyone who hears his voice begin to feel an inexplicable hatred for him so to prevent that, he typically communicates using text or speech applications. Al does break that habit when put in situations where he or someone he knows is put in immense danger and he doesn’t quite have the time to sit back and text away.
Now with the plot/storyline, it did at times was a bit drawn out which I believe may have just been me attempting to decipher the dialogues here and there with the strong accents that had me saying ‘whaaaaaaat?’, hence the skimming that was brought upon. But the magical creatures, eccentric characters, action packed scenes, and the magic itself surely made up for it so it’s a no-brainer that I’m down to read more of Al and Buck and their next adventure.
I was a fan of this author’s Druid Chronicles, so I was eager to dive into this one to see what the author had come up with. What he came up with was an original Sigil wizard, in his sixties mind you, who has been cursed for people to start hating him with each word he speaks. This was fascinating and opened up many thought tangents on my end. The story didn’t take long to get going, and we jumped pretty much right into the story. I was a little worried when there was a pronunciation guide at the beginning, but it surprised me that the accent didn’t really bother me, and it was easy to understand. This latest series-starter was well-written and full of humor just like we’ve come to expect from this author. As a side note, you don’t need to have read the Druid Chronicles to read this one; they are separate but in the same universe. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
Beware of raisin scones.
I really can’t decide who my favorite character was. The pilfering pink hobgoblin with the mouth of a truck driver or the kick butt office manager/cleaner goth chick, also with a potty mouth. Having not read the Iron Druid series (Which my dad loves) by this author, but reading his parodies, (which he did not) I was kinda torn about picking this book up. Regardless, I am glad I did. The humor is great, the story was interesting all the way through, the Easter eggs and nods to his other books brought a smile to my face as did his referencing other books, like the Lord of the Rings series. I would like to thank Net Galley, Random House and Kevin Hearne for the joy this arc brought me in exchange for my unbiased review.
With his newest book, Ink & Sigil, NYT bestselling author Kevin Hearne brings his unique flavor of storytelling and wicked sense of humor to a familiar world – his version of Earth from the Iron Druid Chronicles. Readers don’t have to be acquainted with his previous books to delve into this one; it’s a fresh story from a different point-of-view.
Al MacBharrais is an elderly Scotsman serving as a sigil agent for the First of the Fae, while training an apprentice to carry on after he retires. The death of that apprentice uncovers a sinister plot, and Al gathers a cast of unusual and talented people to hunt down the perpetrators.
Hearne throws Fae creatures into Modern Day Scotland and sprinkles in some foul language, impish humor, and current events. It’s an absolutely delightful read. I devoured this book in less than a day and I hope to see more books featuring Al in the future.
Al MacBharrais lives in a world of different creatures, deities, and spirits. He is an old sigil agent with a wonderful moustache and a taste for good gin. The story begins when Al finds Gordie, his seventh apprentice, has choked to death on a raisin. All his other apprentices also died suddenly in various accidents. But Al discovers a lot more in Gordie’s apartment, a hobgoblin in a cage, sigils Al had not yet taught Gordie, and rare ink ingredients Gordie should not have. This is the start of a wonderful mystery; who is secretly teaching Gordie and helping him find rare ingredients for inks, and why did Gordie capture a fairy and a hobgoblin to sell?
Al has been under a curse that causes people to hate him after listening to Al talk for an extended period. He uses a device that allows him to type in the words and then have them played back in an electronic voice. He also depends on his magical sigils to help him get around and Nadia, his business manager, who is also battle seer. Having a hobgoblin living with him is tricky, but works with careful planning.
I loved the characters in this book, they were all so different and quirky. Having much of the dialogue in a Glasgow accent (who knew there were different accents in Scotland?) made the story extra fun. And the book cover, amazing. I’d love to have a framed copy to hang in my office.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGallley through Random House Publishing Group and this is my honest review.
Having not read The Iron Druid Chronicles, I was not sure what to expect from this book. The premise sounded interesting, but I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. It is a non-stop laugh riot of an action-packed fantasy book. The characters were rich in detail and the story moved along at a brisk pace that kept me interested with every page turn. I look forward to more of this particular series of books, and I will definitely be checking out the Iron Druid Chronicles as well.