The Ink Master’s Silence

What happened? The other books in this series were full of action and magic. This one felt forced, like, it was written under pressure. I found myself putting it down from lack of interest, and having to re-read whole pages to keep track of the very thin story line. Very thin. There was no magic, anywhere. Oh, except when a guy made a piece of paper fly up and give a paper cut. Seriously? Even now, after finding out ‘who did it’, I really didn’t care. The book just ends at 80%. Kind of felt ripped off. I can get a lot of free books on Unlimited, so when I actually pay for one, please give me my money’s worth. I dislike paying for 20% of the book so you can advertise your new series. And, PLEASE, stop with the ‘purring ‘ and ‘growling ‘ with the main character. The earlier books portray him as a manly cowboy type, very masculine and swoon inducing. Now, he’s what, part cat? Don’t believe I’ve ever heard a man purr. Seems a lot of authors, lately, could use a good thesaurus.

Matthew Glass and India Steele are back in this sixth book of the Glass and Steele series. This series is a fun combination of fantasy, romance, and history. There are five books preceding this one and the series should be read in order (beginning with the Watchmakers Daughter), since the story line flows through all six. There is not a lot of repetition or explanation to catch up a new reader (which I appreciate) so if you begin out of order, there are important aspects of the plot that you may miss. The books are set in London in the late 1890s. The citys commerce is ruled by trade guilds, the travel is by horse and buggy, and the class system is in full bloom. Historical details are woven into the plot with aspects of magic. Magic in this story is hereditary and material specific. Since magic has been controversial and its practitioners punished, magical talent is hidden. C.J. Archer is the author of several other very successful fantasy series that also combine magic, history, and romance. In this episode, Matthew and India are investigating the murder of a newspaper editor who had been publishing articles about magic. This murder story line is intertwined with one dealing with Matthews coerced engagement to his cousin and its pressing timeline. There is violence and threat, but no graphic details; there is romance, but no sex; and there is very mild swearing. The continuing characters are variable, and they do not get equal attention from book to book. At times they are grating stereotypes, and at times they are more developed. Aunt Leticia with her class-consciousness, vulnerability, and occasional turn of senility has particularly evolved and grown through the series to be a very important character. C.J. Archer has done a good job of creating continuing story lines to replace solved multi-book story lines and the investigations that are wrapped up within one book. It is satisfying to have some things resolved, and the premise is enough to survive the resolution of Matthews poor health. The pacing is fast, and the setting and time are well defined. I do agree that this book is not the strongest one in the the series. There is very little magic, and the romancing is more repetitive than romantic. However, I am giving it 5 stars, because I expect to buy the next one. If you enjoy this series, you might also like the other series by C.J. Archer (in particular the Emily Chambers Spirit Medium series) and the series by Charlie N. Holmberg that begins with the Paper Magician.

I’ve been avidly following this series, reviewing the older books before reading the new ones, and I consider it a 5 star series. However, this one was a disappointment. This could have (and probably should have been) used to conclude everything. Instead we get a useless mystery that doesn’t forward the plot. The actual plot that revolves around the main characters doesn’t advance much either. If I ever reread the series when all is said and done, I would skip this one.

First, you should definitely read the previous books in the series so you can understand this book. My favourite series by CJ Archer is Freak House closely followed by the Ministry of Curiosities. I started reading the Glass and Steele series because I really Like Archer’s style and stories. I enjoyed this book although not as much as the other ones. TBH, I’m getting anxious for a HEA for India and Matt and this book didn’t feel like it moved the plot forward very much. I would like to see much more magic and lots more romantic scenes. There were some excellent scenes which were exciting, full of action and mystery. Overall it was good but I am looking forward to the next one to see if they finally get their HEA.

I enjoyed the interactions of Matt and India as their love grew. Matt’s friends from America are interesting as usual. Aunt Lettie displays some backbone. The Roycroft family are absolutely horrible — mean and petty and completely selfish. The mystery was not easy to figure out, but I was disappointed that there was only one small exhibition of magic. I still wonder if India’s new watch would protect her as her former watch did. I did not feel that this book was as well crafted as the first five books. The story line seemed to be a compilation of incidents that did not form a cohesive whole. Finally, I was quite disappointed that the last 18% of the book was devoted to a sample of the first book in a new series. My four-star rating was based on the fact that the book held my attention throughout, despite the flaws noted. I am looking forward to book seven, and I am hoping that the story will be of the same quality as the first five.

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