Well now I have a new series for when Jim Butcher goes off on another hiatus from the Dresden files. Good world building, excellent characters development, interesting plot which felt secondary to building up everything else but still moved everything forward. I can not wait for future books and more of the deities (I enjoyed the name dropping like Morrigan) and the very wide and vast world of the fae. And Buck was such a delightful sidekick! Great book and great start to a new series.

This is the beginning of a new series set in the same universe as Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, and it is perhaps the first urban fantasy novel whose protagonist is over 60. At last, I have a hero for my own demographic.

But our hero gets around pretty well and even holds his own in a fight, courtesy of temporary magic spells called 'sigils'. The supporting cast is entertaining: there is a larcenous hobgoblin, a goth accountant warrior, assorted goddesses and fae, and even a librarian who may know more than she lets on.

T.he typical urban fantasy banter is witty, the story moves fairly quickly (although there are a few asides to provide backstory for the characters), and the action sequences are well written.

I'm looking forward to additional books in the series.

Is there anything better than a book that not only transports you to another reality, but does so while with a fresh and unique flair?

Al MacBharrais is not your typical magical user. He isn’t young and dashing, he’s been cursed, but his ability to create magic out of ink and paper. Kevin Hearnes’ INK & SIGIL is part mystery and mayhem and one hundred percent entertaining as Al attempts to discover why his apprentices are dying and what evil is lurking in the shadows.

Let go of reality as you know it, embrace a world filled with magic, hobgoblins and a quirky group of allies as Al becomes his own brand of detective in a world many couldn’t imagine even exists, while avoiding the real detectives around every corner.

Prepare for some humor, some unusual characters, a lot of darkness and a look into the world of magic, power and plenty of action. Entertaining, well developed and set at a pace that will keep readers turning pages.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Del Rey! This is my honest and voluntary review.

It's a magical, witty satire that will have you chuckling to yourself one minute and enthralled by the action in the next.
I'll be honest with you, I have not read the Iron Druid series but after reading this book I feel like I'm missing out. These are my book- people; this is my world. They are funny and sarcastic, droll and full of surprises (being magical and kick-@ss is pretty awesome too!) The world-building (I'm sure) goes along with the Iron Druid series. I haven't read that series so to me I enjoyed the wonder of special inks having the power to create wards and magic. So cool. Not major magic, but learned magic. It was very appealing to me.
This story was such a shock to me because, though Al was an older character, he had a very dry-wit and his desire to set right the wrong that his apprentice had done makes him very noble. Even though the real-world message of human trafficking (or in this case Fae-trafficking) was just lightly touched, the fact that it was broached is commendable.
There were so many times that I found myself laughing while reading this book, I had to stop reading while in public. The whole cast of characters just worked so well together. If this spin-off is any indication of what the author's others books are like then I'm sold. I can't wait to read what happens next door for Al and the Glasgow crew.

** I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. **

**I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Note: I did not like the Iron Druid series. I know, I'm the only one. Oh well.
So, I walked into this one not expecting much. However, I loved the idea. Magic done through runes written in special inks. An older than 50 year guy out there tearing it up with the bad guys wielding nothing but paper? Awesome. Through in an obnoxious goblin minion and a crazy goth assistant and I am definitely on board. It was a great read.

If you've ever read any of the Iron Druid books, then you already know the world where Kevin Hearne has set this spinoff series. But while Atticus O'Sullivan is a druid with powers that most humans can't imagine and seemingly eternal youth, Al MacBharrais is a widower who is feeling his years and has to rely on carefully crafted sigils to use a bit of magic. Since each sigil requires a specific ink with very rare ingredients and time to draw it out correctly, it is not a type of magic to use without lots of advance preparation. Too bad villains never seem to give anyone time for that prep. As for the years, Al chooses "to interpret the symphony of pops and crackles in my joints as a mark of extraordinary character." The idea of travel between the planes that was part of the Iron Druid books is the same here, but Al adds his own additional twist. "I look at the Internet as a sort of plane in the sense that it has plenty of rules and one shouldn't be mucking about there without some expertise." Sounds about right to me.

When Al finds his latest apprentice dead, he also discovers a hobgoblin that shouldn't be there. Buck (the hob), learns that Gordie the apprentice is dead and asks how it happened. Al tells him that Gordie choked to death on a raisin scone. Buck declares it was a suicide because, "He didn't accidentally eat a raisin scone, now did he?" The two eventually come to an agreement that raisins in a scone are evil and dangerous, then they begin unraveling the situation that brought Buck to Scotland in the first place. The others in Al's life who know about his true duties as a sigil agent in policing traffic between the various planes of existence are just as unique as Buck. For instance, there is his business manager who is also a battle seer. Or the faery who tends bar at the local pub, who also sends messages to the court of Brighid, First among the Fae. And there are the other sigil agents who are stationed around the world.

The first time I read it, I went through it in one big gulp. Then I had to go back and slow down to savor all the elements that made it such a good read. There are so many things to like about this book, and to look forward to later on in the series, and not just the urban fantasy setting and the action sequences. Al's character is entertaining, but he also has a curse hanging over his head that will need to be dealt with. Buck, the hobgoblin, is good for pointing out human foibles and questioning things that we take for granted. (If you enjoyed the conversations between Oberon and Atticus, then Al and Buck will also amuse you in the same way.) When I was reading the book, I occasionally had to put it down because I was laughing too hard to see the words. Nadia is a contradiction with her diminutive size and her battle skills. Let's not even start on the librarian that Al wants to take out for coffee, or the detective who is suspicious of his activities, or his need for a new apprentice (one who won't eat raisin scones)... And I would love to visit more with the other sigil agents, especially the one in Chattanooga (since that is close to my home). I appreciate Hearne's brilliance in noticing that "the Fae preferred the Appalachians and Smoky Mountains above all else in the western hemisphere." Who doesn't?

Highly recommended for fans of Kevin Hearne, urban fantasy (especially with Druidic or Celtic ties), mysteries with magical elements, or anyone who likes their fantasy to have a mix of action, humor, and whodunit.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must say this was a fun book to read. Aloysius MacBharrais, who usually goes by Al is a sigil agent who works to keep the peace by contract with the various planes that make contact with Earth. He has a glorious mustache but the cool thing is he is also in his 70's (if I calculated that correctly). He is a cool old man that does his job well, even if he was cursed and has to use a electronic device to talk to people (sadly with a UK accent instead of Scottish, darn electronics!)

Al has quite the mystery to solve with this sudden arising of Fae trafficking by his ex apprentice (now dead by raisin). Luckily he has the help of Nadia (a super awesome battle seer/property manager) and his new employee hobgoblin, Buck (very immature but helpful at times too).

I enjoyed this book and I think it might make an awesome audiobook with all the accents going on. I was still able to understand all that was going on, even with the slightly different words but some other might have troubles with that.

I would recommend this book as a good urban fantasy and I would love to read more about Al and Nadia. Hopefully he can find out who cursed him!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Familiar if you are a fan of the author’s Iron Druid series, and yet, something completely new.
This is a well-written adventure/mystery. It is an interesting premise and I will likely see if the next volume corrects some of the issues with the book. The first issue is that it’s lacking the suspense that is usually ubiquitous in this genre. Secondly, while at times the book is laugh out loud funny, in others it feels like the author is trying too hard to be funny – sophomoric at times. Let’s be clear, I enjoyed the book, but there are some issues that would keep me from being a fan of the series. Hopefully, the next book will work out the kinks.

To start off, I would like to thank Del Rey books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. However, this has not influenced my opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'll be honest, I haven't read all of Hearne's Iron Druid series and it has been awhile since I have picked one up, but for the life of me I couldn't remember why. When I read the synopsis for this, I thought it sounded like it would be a fun and interesting read, however, for me it dragged. It dragged so much. I don't know if it was because of it being a first book in a new series, or if because the world was better thought out than the plot. I was hoping for something quick and adventure based, but what I received was a bit more along the lines of a buddy cop movie where they spend most of their time together cracking jokes, but not actually forwarding the plot. Also, this reminded me that the reason I stopped reading the Iron Druid series was that my humor and what I enjoy tonally does not line up with Hearne's most of the time.

However, I did enjoy the fact that Al was an older character (and not like in the immortal way). So many of the characters in books are younger or in their "prime." I enjoyed reading about someone who'd experienced some different aspects of life than other urban fantasy protagonists and also was a serious candidate for breaking his hips fighting the bad guys. However, I also find it to be an odd choice to have a character that for the most part can't actually talk to people. Readers can pick up a lot of interesting things in dialogue and some of that is lost when the main character is typing his replies, even if they are what he would be saying out loud. I also quite enjoyed reading the dialect in this novel and it didn't hinder my experience in any way.

Anyways, Nadia's a queen, Al is fine (if a tad super-competent) , and Buck Foi is obnoxious as all get out. The pacing was painfully slow, the villains underwhelming, and it sorely lacked in tension. However, if you enjoy the Iron Druid series, you will probably like this series once it gets underway, but for me this one just fell flat.

Blog review to come closer to release date.

Having loved the author's Iron Druid series I had every expectation of loving this first entry to Iron Druid spin-off series and I was so right. Al was a wonderfully unique character and was surrounded by an amazing and quirky cast of secondary character who were equally as wonderful. A great addition to the UF genre and the Iron Druid world.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by NetGalley*

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book, I was a bit disappointed in this book and I laughed out loud at this book.
First I loved it, it is a very well written story with so many rich detail about Scotland and the eccentricities of the spoken language there.  I truly love that Mr. Hearne puts real places in his stories. 
Aloysius MacBharrais is having a really bad day, his 7th apprentice has died and he is not sure if he will live long enough to get another one trained. As he is already up in years and has now put forth the effort 7 times.
Second, I was a bit disappointed because it was touted to be in the same world as the iron druid so I expected him to make at least a cameo appearance,  if not be incorporated into the storyline somehow.  BUT with that being said I truly liked this book even without Atticus because there were others from that world in the book and it tied together neatly.  All in all I do recommend it to any and all fans of urban fantasy, Kevin Hearne, siguldists (?), goblins and fun of any kind.

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.

I like that the main character is an old guy with a curse and cultivated mustache. He also keeps order and writes contracts between the Fae and human realms. Also, I learned lots about gin flavor notes, the effects of salsa on certain fae, and yes the story was fun, quick moving, had lots of action, and made me hungry for chips and salsa.

This story threw me into a world of unique magic and world building. I really enjoyed this book. It had a mystery that I couldn't figure out until the end, and I'm great at figuring out mysteries early on. It always intrigues me when I don't know what is going to happen.

The characters were deep and dark, something that really played out well in the blackness of the world around them and they really helped the story to move forward at a wonderful pace.

If you want a Harry Potter meets True Blood kind of vibe, this is the book for you.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

My review will be live on the Book Confessions blog on 6-6-2020.

As far as I'm concerned Hearne can do no wrong. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to hopefully the start of a new series! Would definitely recommend.

I am a huge fan of all things Kevin Hearne and Iron Druid. I was so sad when the Iron Druid ended...and then lo and behold Kevin Hearne returns to the same world as the Iron Druid with his new novel, Ink and Sigil. Ink and Sigil drops us into the world of the Iron Druid with a brand new character. Hearne's signature wit pervades the book and the I love his new protagonist, Al MacBaharrias. The slightly cantankerous Al is under a strong curse that he must find a way to rid himself of. He is part detective, part magic practitioner, and all surly Scot. It all combines into a wonderful book. I also enjoyed some cameos from my favorite denizens of the Tuatha De Dannan and appreciated the new characters, especially the bad-ass battle seer Nadia. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to jump headfirst into a beautifully crafted fantasy world.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3365342895?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I received a NetGalley copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I was skeptical. I didn't think I was going to like it. I kind of didn't want to like it out of respect for Atticus. I am a die hard Iron Druid fan and have not enjoyed any of Kevin's other series. (Sorry, Kevin.) Ink & Sigil was his chance to re-engage me as a fan......and he delivered!

Did he convince me this is the same world that the Iron Druid series occupies? Mostly, yes. There are a lot of familiar characters and shared lore that tie this series to the Iron Druid world, which makes it a lot of fun for ID fans. Someone unfamiliar with the Iron Druid series would still enjoy this. However, some sections would be less meaningful to them.

Is there a fantastic side kick? Maybe. Buck Foi is certainly not the same caliber of side kick as Oberon, but he might grow on me. Hobgoblins are infinitely less cuddly than dogs, and certainly more mischievous.

Booze and food? Check.

Action? Yep. And a fun story to pull this all together.

Al McBharrais is blessed with the ability to cast spells using sigils written with magical inks. He protects the world from nasty creatures and beings from other other worlds using these spells and sigils. Unfortunately, he is also cursed. Someone placed a curse on him that causes anyone who hears his voice for too long to hate him. To safely communicate with others, he uses a text to speech application. Al is also a bit unlucky. He is supposed to be training an apprentice, but his latest apprentice, Gordie, has just met his demise. (Don't eat raisins, kids.) As Al's bad luck might have it, Gordie was involved in some shady business. Al, his manager Nadia, and his new hobgoblin must use all their sleuthing, fighting, and thieving skills to get to the bottom of Gordie's bad business.

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.

This is the first book in a new series by Kevin Hearne, who wrote the Iron Druid Chronicles. In this series we meet Al MacBharrais a master of a rare magical talent, a sigil writer,a man who is responsible for writing contracts and magical symbols for the gods of the fae planes. Al is cursed, anyone who hears his voice will come to hate him so he must communicate through a type to speech app on his phone. When his apprentice turns up dead, he discovers a web of illegal activity the apprentice was involved in. Al must solve the mystery of this crime ring before people are hurt.
This is a fun, action-packed, magical story and an immensely enjoyable read ! Kevein Hearne has a vivid imagination and crafts wondrous stories!!!!

This was a fast paced adventure that had a lot of humor and great characters. I love urban fantasy and I can not wait for book two!