Indelible (The Twixt, #1)

by Dawn Metcalf

[inlibrisveritas]

3.5 Rating

Indelible is a complex yet some how simple story, with mythical strangeness and beauty. The Twixt is the world of the Folk, which can be called the Fae though it includes some beings that normally would not be called such. It’s a world where True Names have power and are left as marks on humans’ skin to lay claim. It’s a promising story but it is not without it’s problems.

The world-building is complex and it takes a while for the pieces to fall into a place that can truly be understood. The meaning of the signatura (name claims) confused me for a good deal of the book and I didn’t quite understand how some of them went unnoticed. Some are invisible but others take physical shape on the skin…and I’m still wondering how many people are confused about the random rose tattoo they have. Not all are so blatant but the fact that it shows up seems weird. One of the best things about the world-building is all of the odd creatures that Joy comes into contact with, some sound beautiful but most sound rather terrifying. It’s kind of interesting to have them walking among humans but unseen by them. The plot was slow building and the meat of it isn’t even mentioned until about half-way through, but after that point things start to kick off a bit faster.

The characters were so-so, some hits and some misses. Joy is enjoyable enough and she tries her hardest to be strong and helpful through her whole ordeal but there were times when her whining got on my nerves. I really liked Ink though, he’s a bit stiff but it’s understandable because of his nature and while he’s not the most swoon-worthy character I’ve seen I liked his over all progress. I also loved his and his sister’s ability, though I didn’t quite understand all of it. His sister is Inq…which I’m guessing is basically the same as saying Ink, but with a slightly different ending? To be honest their names bothered me…Indelible Ink and Invisible Inq, they are so literal and kind of cheesy but I digress. Inq is the more lively of the two and she definitely lives life to the fullest, which becoming slightly annoying at times. Any time she’d randomly caress a person I’d cringe, because even though they can’t see her that’s still really creepy. The relationship between Ink and Joy was interesting but I wasn’t wholly invested in their commitment to each other. It was oddly sweet at times thanks to a few odd bonding experiences, but I didn’t really feel the ‘love’. Then there is Monica, who I didn’t like at all really. She’s bolder than Joy and at times she acted way older than sixteen. Teens have sex…it’s fact, but she is ridiculous. There is a moment where she equates Joy & Ink’s lack of sex to Ink being terrible for her, and at that point I just wrote her off as an idiot. The host of Folk side characters are really varied and add a definite dash of spice to the mix.

I enjoyed the book for the most part but I would have loved for the actual plot to have started sooner, and for somethings to be explained in a more concise way. While it didn’t deliver on some accounts I do see the series potential in it so I plan on continuing on to the second book whenever it releases.