Between Ink and Shadows is the first book in the young adult fantasy series called, Between Ink and Shadows by Melissa Wright. I loved this book! It had a dark and gritty vibe with a creepy secret society in a fantasy world. I am super pumped for the second book. I need it in my life right now! I also want to point out that this is a super beautiful book! I have the hardcover edition and not only is the cover crazy beautiful, but there is gorgeous art on the naked hardcover edition that is just stunning! Melissa Wright did such a fantastic job creating a book that looks as beautiful on the outside as it reads on the inside! I really loved between Ink and Shadows and I can’t wait to read the second book in this series.

In Between Ink and Shadows, we meet our main character Nim. We learn early on that Nim is indebted to a super scary secret society called The Trust. We also learn that she is not indebted to them by her own choosing or doing…but rather she inherited her father’s debt. This made me instantly feel for Nim. She is just trying to get by because of someone else’s choices thrust her into a life that she can’t get out of. I loved Nim. I loved her skeptical nature, and how resourceful she is. For Nim’s next task, which really doesn’t earn her any closer to freedom, it just buys her another month’s time, is to steal a personal item from the king’s seneschal, Warrick Spenser. This sets Nim off on her real adventure.

I loved Warrick and Nim from their very first meeting. I knew that Warrick was someone that has demons and secrets of his own, and I was dying to uncover them all. Melissa Wright does a fantastic job of gripping the readers attention and not letting go. Between Ink and Shadows is a fast paced read that once I picked up, I couldn’t put down! Another element of Between Ink and Shadows that fascinated me is the magic system. Here people barter and contract away for pieces of magic. It might be magic for good luck, or magic to look beautiful, but all magic comes with a price. It was an interesting concept to see something ordinary- a contract, paired up with something magical. I loved it! And of course, it illustrates all the ways that contracts and debts can go very wrong. The seedy underbelly and the violence of the Trust was truly terrifying. They do not mess around!

Everything about this story drew me in- The characters and their great banter, the bargain struck between Nim and Warrick, the dark gritty atmosphere of the world and creepy villainous nature of the Trust. It is all fantastic, and if you are a fan of dark fantasies with an alluring romance, great characters and a fast paced plot, then Between Ink and Shadows is going to be a smash hit for you! It was for me. I am desperate to get my hands on book 2 ASAP!