Ink, by Jobie Baldwin - Book review

Ink, by Jobie Baldwin, is the first book in the Tribe series of urban fantasy adventure superhero novels. I found this to be a uniquely enthralling fantasy read that had some interesting plot twists. A fun story with relatable characters and a quirky plot that keeps the reader entertained.

The action is set mostly in London, where a teenager named Christian is drawn into a mysterious tattoo parlor. The guy behind the counter, a native American named Raven tells Christian to stay in the center of the room and the right tattoo will choose him. The tattoo soon burns itself into Christian’s skin and gives him god-like powers.

”The tattoo is a conduit, your link to the Guide. Your tattoo symbolizes Hagalaz. We call him the Disruptor. He controls the elemental forces, the weather. He brings change, often of a catastrophic nature. I can’t wait to see what powers he has granted you.”

This happens because the Earth is in danger to be attacked by the Settlers (aliens that have been living amongst humans for quite some time). So ancient rune gods chose suitable teenagers as vessels and together they try to save Earth. After getting chosen by Hagalaz (the god of disruption), Christian joins his “tribe” – a group of teenagers from all over the world who have been chosen for the same purpose by different gods to a training facility where they are supposed to discover their powers, connect with their guides and train to fight together.

Controlling his guide proves to be an ongoing struggle, often with catastrophic consequences. Fortunately, his tribe members have awesome powers too. With Hagalaz (that Christian often calls him Laz) wreaking havoc, their shielding and healing powers come in handy.

“My hands were glowing blue-white, and sparks were shooting out of my fingers. I moved my hands away from my sides, which turned out to be a bad idea because forks of lightning shot out of them hitting the street below. ‘Stop! yelled Ben and I turned to look at him. He’d climbed off the edge and was clinging to a drain pipe attached to the side of the building. The wind whipped at his shirt and almost tore it off his body. ‘I’m trying!’I shouted back as more lightning flared out of my fingertips and crashed to the street below, tearing up pavement like paper. So far I hadn’t hit anyone, but it was just a matter of time as lightning was firing off left and right. Hagalaz was really getting into his stride. I had to do something, but what? In a panic, I touched my hand to the tattoo again and shouted, ‘Stop!’at the top of my voice. The lightning continued but I was lowered to my feet.”

What I found most interesting was the concept of how the Settlers came to be. I won’t comment anymore on this because I don’t want to spoil your fun. If you want to know more, read the book!