Curse of the Divine: Review

Synopsis:

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.

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.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:

What a fantastic duology. Ink in the Blood was my favorite book of 2020 and for good reason. The world of Profeta and the magic of it, the fantasy world is unlike anything I’ve read or could’ve possibly imagined. It’s a dark, lush fantasy that blew my mind and I adore with all my heart.

The expansion of the ink and its initial source in this astounding sequel was not what I was expecting in the least. The lengths to where the story went and Celia’s all around growth, the way she comes to terms with grief and all the losses she’s went through is a story that resonated with me as I’m sure it will with many. The metaphorical regard of life and death, and what the afterlife holds is very thought provoking. There’s an underlying lesson to be had of it and there’s hope in it that will speak to many.

We get to meet new characters in COTD that are just as vibrant and unique as those of the first book. Although I do feel like we didn’t really get much depth to them and I would’ve loved to have seen more of them. However, we do get to see more of the original characters that I love and get to see more growth to them. We get much more of Diavala’s history and how she came to be transforming her completely in my eyes. We get some sense of understanding of the plague doctor and get to unveil who he really is under the mask. There’s the development of one villain redeeming them and exposing another unredeemable one. All the things I would’ve wanted in a concluding sequel.

My only complaint was that I felt like the original awe of the first one wasn’t there. I felt like this one was more looking for a logical solution to a logical problem rather than experiencing a discovery of something completely unexplainable in a sense. It felt like a different story. Not a continuation of the first but altogether a new one. Yet, I don’t think it could’ve gone any other way. In the end every question and curious thought I had was answered in a beautiful, neat, hopeful conclusion. It was a fantastic end to a story that I admire greatly and love dearly.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early review copy in exchange for an honest review.