CURSE OF THE DIVINE

Grief, revenge, and deceit meet in this sequel to Ink in the Blood (2020).

Two weeks after destroying the religion of Profeta and bringing an end to an era of corruption and subservience, Celia is torn apart by grief over her best friend Anya’s demise and is worried that Griffin, her plague doctor, will be driven insane by a very much still alive Diavala. The only way to save Griffin is to travel to Wisteria Township and find the mysterious Halcyon, the only person known to have survived Diavala’s Touch madness. But as Celia makes a dangerous deal with Halcyon in order to learn more about the ink that may be the answer to everything, she wonders if she’s traded one devil for an even worse one. Told primarily from Celia’s viewpoint with the occasional interlude from Griffin’s, this satisfying novel delves deeper into the world’s intriguing mythology as Celia unravels all its mysteries with profound consequences. The story features an engaging narrative full of surprising plot twists and with a generous measure of anguished romance on the side as Celia and Griffin are often at odds with each other in their pursuit of revenge and freedom. Main characters are White; there is racial and gender diversity in this world.

A fitting conclusion to a duology that is well worth reading.