Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

he Ink in the Blood duology has one of the most immersive and developed fantasy worlds into which I've immersed myself. This was such a mystical and imaginative novel, quite intriguing in its premise of blood transforming into the ink that binds reality to the magical dark underworld. It felt somewhat surreal and edging on the paranormal side of things and the dark, dark, dark! My only wish with this was the need for more of griffin’s POV!! I could read an entire book through his eyes !

A fantastic read. A perfect end to the duoligy. The book had all the necessary elements, it was soothing, thrilling and perfect.

Curse of the Divine followed in the footsteps of Ink in the Blood being one of the most immersive and macabre worlds I've had the pleasure of stepping into this year, Picking up right where the first book leaves off, it fulfills one of my favorite tropes of giving you enough background of an evil character to make you feel for them, even though you don't like her.

One of the most powerful parts of this book was the portrayal of grief and loss. It felt like one of the most realistic descriptions of life after loss I have read in a while. The way it draped itself over the atmosphere of the book added so much to the story and I loved it. I also liked how different this book was from the first one. Moving beyond a critique of religion, and shifting the magical focus to a deeper exploration of the ink used for the tattoos was a fantastic choice.

I was happy with the way this one ended, although would have loved a more open ended close if it meant we would get more to the story. This is not a duology you should miss if you like your books dripping with macabre atmosphere and well developed characters. I think readers of The Merciful Crow duology and The Wicked Saints books would really enjoy this one.

I remember thinking the first book in the series was fine, but this book seemed harder for me to connect to and much darker.

Sadly, I just couldn't get into this book. The first was a fun summer read while this one certainly felt like a different tone. I shall be adding this one to my to be picked up again someday shelf.

A solid follow-up to INK IN THE BLOOD, which expands and deepens Smekjal's world. The inventiveness of the first book is certainly present, but without the central friendship, the characters slightly flounder. A worthy sequel, but with slightly less zing than the first title.

Opinions; If I had not received an advanced copy of CURSE OF THE DIVINE from NetGalley, I would've bought it as soon as it released in February 2021! All the vigor from INK IN THE BLOOD and more carried over to this sequel, not short of Smejkal's atmospheric world of tension, dark magic, and conspiracy that is just unfamiliar enough to keep the reader comfortable and engaged but nearing the edge of their seat. Without spoilers, it was heartbreaking to know that our beloved protagonist who empowered LGBTQ+ people and young women in the first book faced more conflict than she deserved in yet another tale. We fell in love with new characters, mourned over old ones, and collapsed from the second-hand pressure Celia was confronted with.

My Favourite Thing: I hate to recycle book reviews, but my favourite thing about CURSE OF THE DIVINE is the exact same element that I adored in INK IN THE BLOOD: Kim Smejkal's talent for writing fluid, engaging, descriptive text that the readers can appreciate and understand. I was never confused, lost, or bored while reading either book because Smejkal was always ahead of the game when it came to knowing her audience's needs, such as a brawl or cliffhanger or, whether we wanted it or not, a character's death. I am, above all, impressed with the themes of the series: YA fantasy's only restriction is that themes are all either nonexistent or very similar, but Smejkal was able to conjure up new, exciting, valuable lessons for her readers to pick up easily and learn. Some motifs revolve around death, power, respect, freedom, loyalty, and promises, things that all teenagers and young adults can bare to learn a little about. Kim Smejkal didn't just share a fairytale with us, she created a novel of craft, passion, and care.

My Least Favourite Thing: Dissimilar to INK IN THE BLOOD, I felt that the beginning of CURSE OF THE DIVINE rambled a bit. There was so much action at the end of the previous book and in the middle of this one that the introduction seemed bland and slow. If there had been a more intense bridge between the two parts, I would've found it easier to engage with this sequel.

I loved the first book in this series and liked this one.
It's gripping and entertaining but is not as exciting as the first one.
The characters are great and the world building is interesting.
A good story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Though I didn't enjoy Curse of the Divine as much as the first book, I did still rather enjoy this one.

The two major things that made me enjoy this book were the characters and the descriptions. Almost all of the characters are extremely lovable and they're all really complex. There is no boring or uninteresting character. Each character aides in the story and has a personality that is unlike all the other characters. The descriptions were beautiful. From reading even one page of this book, you can picture the world perfectly. I hope that Netflix adapts this series into a show some day because even though it will have slow parts, the cinematography would be jaw dropping and beautiful.

Plot wise this book was fun. It's well laid out, and everything makes sense but my issues with the book came in this area. There are parts that I just couldn't get interested in, and others I skimmed because nothing was happening.

3.5/5 stars
Curse of the Divine was a really solid sequel to Ink in the Blood. Celia Sand's triumph over the Profeta and Diavala came at a steep cost: her best friend Anya, whose absence from her life now has her reeling. It soon becomes apparent that she must act fast to save those she has left as it is revealed that Diavala has taken residence in Griffin's body, something no person has ever survived. Well, all but one. Celia and Griffin race to the strange town of Wisteria to meet the only man who survived the Touch: Halycon Ronnea. But in a city crafted by ink and with secrets of his own, Celia soon realizes that she has traded one devil for another. Now, Celia must master the ink once and for all if she is going to save her plague doctor from certain death, even if it means making a deal with one more evil than Diavala herself.
While I liked Ink in the Blood, I wasn't crazy about it. But Curse of the Divine was much more enjoyable for me to read. You can tell how the author's writing, use of characterization and plot have all improved since her debut. I really enjoyed Celia in this book as she navigates a world without Anya and comes to terms with the role she played in her best friend's death. Loss is a heavy theme in this book that adds a depth of meaning that was missing in the first. I loved seeing Celia get back on her feet and become more confident of herself and in her relationships from those around her. Her character development in this one was really well done. I loved seeing things from Griffin's perspective and that we got a glimpse into what his mind looked like with Diavala in it. I also appreciated the lore and the history of Diavala and Halycon (who was a super fascinating villain, btw!), and how it changed everything we knew about Diavala in the first book. I was kind of confused about Wisteria and what was going on at certain times, but the confusing aspects of the plot didn't derail me like they did in the first book. Curse of the Divine is a story about how the beliefs and things we think we know often are not what they appear to be, and a portrait of how grief intersects with self-growth.

Return to the world of inklings, tattoo magic, and evil deities as Celia uncovers the secrets of the ink in order to stop Diavala once and for all. This eagerly anticipated sequel to Ink in the Blood is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Wicked Saints.


I really liked this!

Ugh, I loved, loved, loved this continuation of Ink in the Blood. It sparkled and dazzled like the Plague Doctor always did. Celia Sand is the perfect heroine, imperfect, doing right by doing wrong, being human. Loved it.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for giving me access.

This was a better continuation of the first. While Ink in the Blood was a little slow to my liking, Curse of the Divine was a much better pace. The use of ink magic was better displayed and the world building grew so much more.

Not my favorite duology, but Curse of the Devine redeems my opinions on the first novel. As described, I would agree that this is a great read for those that love Wicked Saints bu Emily A. Duncan.

This was such a mystical and imaginative book. It was a very good wrap up to the duology, the concept of blood manipulation for message sending lead to many dark concepts.

Celia, the main protagonist in this book is heading to Wisteria, a town that’s tethered to illusions of ink and magic. She is after Halcyon Ronnea for revenge for her friend anya.

With things moving the way they are she has to start moving as to not lose her friend Griffin the plaque doctor to the dark forces as well. She has to play a double agent with Halcycon to gain his trust and destroy Diavala.

A plot that will take Celia to the depths of the underworld of illusions, she has to gain and figure out the difference between the real and not. She has to be at the pinnacle of her powers but What will the cost for her be this time?

The idea behind ink magic is a plot not really explored as much. Just as the ability to create the illusional life was a beautiful act in this story but as it had its beauty it had a dark side to it all that fit very well.

The characters were easy to connect to and the way it was written you got to connect with them in an emotional level and sympathize with them.

Overall I give this book a 4.5/5 definitely recommend the duology starting with INK IN THE BLOOD and then CURSE OF THE DIVINE.

If you like magically macabre books, then this duology is for you 🖤

Curse of the divine picks up right where Ink in the Blood left us. Celia and co. brought down the Profeta Religion, freeing a to of people who might have otherwise not ever known they had been manipulated. This of course came at a great cost to Celia, who lost the most important person in her life. To add insult unto injury Diavala did not die, she instead hitched a ride with the nearest available body which so happens to be Celia's Plague Doctor. Together, Celia and Griffin will set off to get rid of Diavala once and for all with the help of the only "saint" who managed to survive Diavala's touch; Halycon Ronnea.

I love how creative Kim Smejkal is. She ventures out to create her own world full of her own rules and pretty much nails it. I remember really liking Ink in the Blood when it came out last year, and not knowing how the sequel would hold up. Let me tell you, it holds up in an extravagant way. I might even like it more than the first book. You get Diavala in a more close and personal scenario, giving her story texture and even making you sympathize with the she devil. After all, she wasn't born an immortal being... someone made her this way. Celia also walks the line between the good guy and the less than stellar girlfriend. She makes mistakes and spends the entire novel with the ghost of her best friend right on her shoulder--she is engulfed in sadness and grief. Pretty realistic portrayal, I am glad her trauma wasn't brushed off.

Griffin is not a favorite character for me--he is just very dramatic and I'm just not too into that, but he is perfect for Celia. I was glad he was there to guide her through the darkness they both face. We get a lot of background into the Ink; where it comes from, who created it, why they created it... It is all very marvelous and not totally surprising, but the book is all about the journey and not the twist for this reader.

I hope Kim Smejkal gets to publish a lot more books! She can only get better as a writer, and her stories more wonderful.

PS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!

So this book begins right after Ink in the Blood ends, and man, I was still getting over the end of Ink in the Blood and you can tell that Celia is too. She's so scarred by everything that happened with Diavala and Anya (and Anya was such a great loss for her) and she knows that Diavala is hiding in Griffin/the plague doctor and it's only a matter of time before she comes out and takes him over/kills him, so she needs to find out how to save him by talking to the only person who's ever survived the Touch, Halycon Ronnea.
There were so many cool elements in this book and I loved how we got interludes where Griffin and Diavala were speaking to each other. It was really easy to understand why Celia did the things she did but it was also easy to understand why Griffin reacted to everything in the way that he did. There were some lulls in the middle of the book, but overall, they didn’t change how I felt about the book and I thought that the way the author ended the book and the twists that were taken throughout worked well! Overall, I really enjoyed Curse of the Divine and if you liked Ink in the Blood, I think you’ll enjoy this one too!

After Ink in the Blood, I wasn't sure how Kim Smejkal would be able to top the sinister vibe of the first book, but she killed it in Curse of the Divine. As a huge fan of tattoos, I found the premise of this duology exciting and completely original. Ink magic? Hells to the yes. No pun intended there, but for real, I was right there with Celia as she went through the ups and downs. I will say, I found Halcyon to be an interesting addition to the cast in this book, and wish we'd gotten a bit more back story there, but that's purely for selfish reasons because I find morally grey characters so intriguing!

I'm looking forward to seeing what Smejkal writes next!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Curse of the Divine

Author: Kim Smejkal

Book Series: Ink in the Blood Book 2

Rating: 3.5/5

Diversity: LGBT+ characters

Recommended For...: ya readers, fantasy lovers, magic lovers, LGBT+

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, death, grief, religion, slight romance)

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 448

Synopsis: Celia Sand faced Diavala and won, using ink magic to destroy the corrupt religion of Profeta that tormented her for a decade. But winning came with a cost. Now Celia is plagued with guilt over her role in the death of her best friend. When she discovers that Diavala is still very much alive and threatening Griffin, the now-infamous plague doctor, Celia is desperate not to lose another person she loves to the deity’s wrath.

The key to destroying Diavala may lie with Halycon Ronnea, the only other person to have faced Diavala and survived. But Halcyon is dangerous and has secrets of his own, ones that involve the ink that Celia has come to hate. Forced to choose between the ink and Diavala, Celia will do whatever it takes to save Griffin—even if it means making a deal with the devil himself.

Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this read. The book had a lot of unique and fun elements to the book. The plot was intriguing and kept me hooked throughout it. The characters are well developed and the world building is well done.

However, I did feel like the book was a bit weirdly written. The book tended to hyper focus on certain events and it became a bit much to read at those points. The book was also slow paced in a lot of places.

Verdict: It was good!

With more ink on my skin than my husband, I am a sucker for fantasy books that revolve around magic tattoos. Granted, they haven't been the greatest stories I have ever read, but that doesn't stop me from reading them. Kim Smejkal's Ink in the Blood rewarded me for my interest, so I was really looking forward to the story's finale, Curse of the Divine. Sadly, everything I loved about the first book failed to impress me this time around.

What impressed me so much about the first novel was Ms. Smejkal's critique of organized religion, her use of auras - visible to everyone - to identify gender fluidity, and the idea of magic tattoos. In Curse of the Divine, we get away from two of the three elements, and the story suffers. For one, Celia destroyed the existing organized religion in the first book, so there can be no criticism of it. Instead, Celia must deal with the one person who may be able to save her friends from a terrible fate, one that has nothing to do with religion. For me, dealing with someone who has delusions of grandeur is not as enjoyable as criticizing organized religion in any form.

At the same time, Curse of the Divine moves away from magic tattoos and instead focuses on the actual ink Celia used in the magic tattoos. Rather than sending secret messages, she learns that one can use the ink to manipulate the corporeal world. While impressive and more than a little foreboding, it is a much more serious consequence of using the ink. No matter how dark the first novel got, there was still a feeling of whimsy at the idea that Celia could use her ink to send messages to friends whenever she wanted. Now that Celia uses the ink to change the world around her, that whimsy disappears, making the story something entirely different and not, in my opinion, in a good way.

Plus, the origins of the ink, something we find out in the novel, are disappointing. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I was expecting something much more earth-shattering than the information we obtain. It is a bit as if Ms. Smejkal used all her allotted creativity for the first story and had to rely on old standby explanations for the sequel.

Thankfully, Ms. Smejkal does still include gender-identifying auras and their infinite nuances. In fact, Celia ruminates on the beauty of gender fluidity and the freedom to change whenever you desire. She describes the auras as something so beautiful, it makes me wish they were real. Not only would it end the confusion over designated gender versus biological sex, but it would also remind people that we are beautiful no matter how we express ourselves.

I find that Curse of the Divine is four hundred pages of Celia dealing with the trauma she faced at the end of the first book followed by fifty pages of acceptance, forgiveness, and understanding so that Celia can obtain closure. While that closure is satisfying in its way, the journey to get there is less creative than in the first novel. There is less bite, less social critique, and a whole lot more hand-wringing, something I never thought I would see in Celia's character.