Ashley Mansour

I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was lucky enough to be a part of a group of readers called The Hundred with the author.

Blood, Ink & Fire is set in a world where books have been destroyed and made illegal to possess. Reading is a crime and for Noelle Hartley that is a dangerous problem. Unlike everyone else in the United Vales of Fell, Noelle can read. This leads Noelle on a journey where she has to come to terms with both love and loss, and who she is.

I really loved this book! It was so unique and wonderfully written. I am surprised that this is the author's first book. The idea of a world without books is utterly terrifying to me and I feel that the Ashley Mansour portrayed it perfectly. Throughout the book there were many quotes from other great works of literature and MANY literary references (hint hint....names). You will understand once you have read this story for yourself. Normally this book would have received 5 stars from me but I cannot get over the ending. I was a bit perturbed and a little frustrated with Noelle. I am really hoping that Ashley decides to write a second book because I feel there is much more that could and needs to be wrote about with this story.

I recommend this book to every book lover out there!… (mais)

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Please note that this review is strictly my opinion considering the other reviews for it.

I don't even know where to begin except to point out the irony of reading a book about a world without books. It took me so long to finish reading this and don't get me wrong; the book was not bad at all. No -- it really wasn't. It wasn't the book, it was me. I'm visiting my family for two weeks and I just didn't want to read. It was a big mistake. Let me start off by talking about the characters.

Noelle was beautifully written; she was well-rounded and believable. A part of her was a part of me and because of that, she was relatable, and that's a big thing to have when it comes to writing a great story. The other characters were just as rounded out as she was, making the story flow and the characters jump off the pages.

Books were like people. The stories inside them were real. The characters lived and breathed. Books were life. They were breath. To feel these things in the stories as keenly as if they were not just words on a page, but memories from your own life, to make you imagine things you never even dreamed of, that was the power of a book.

I can't imagine a world without books… especially without books like this. It is rare that I come across such a book that makes me feel this way. The whole story was just so well thought out that while I read, the scenes played out in my mind like a movie. At points, I forgot I was even reading. I was Noelle.

The plot was... (please click the logo for full review)… (mais)