INKED DESTINY by Jory Strong

Inked Magic World #2
Berkley Trade, July 2013
paperback from publisher
ISBN:  0425253619 (ISBN13: 9780425253618)
Paranormal Fantasy/Romance

Three Hearts

Jory Strong’s INKED DESTINY is magic and elves and mobsters; oh boy!

Tattoo artist Etain has recently found out that she is an elf with the power to touch a person and steal their memories and bind others to her through her art.  She is magic bound to her boyfriend Cathal, a son of an Irish mobster and claimed by Eamon, an Elven lord with immense power. 

This review is based on reading INKED DESTINY without having read the first book in Jory Strong’s Inked Magic World, Inked Magic.  This reader feels certain that had I read the first book, a lot of things that left me puzzled, would have been much clearer.  That said; this book was confusing.  Most books that are part of a series give you enough back-story to figure out who is who and where they fit in to the story.  INKED DESTINY did not.  It reads more of a Part II than a standalone book in its own right.  So be warned, reading the first book is a definite “ought to”.  I did not.

The book opens with a sex scene involving Etain in a man sandwich with lovers Cathal and Eamon.  Though this reader assumed right then and there that this book was going to be straight erotica, it was not.  Yes, the sex scenes were hot and steamy, but really they weren’t all that graphic.  Etain is an elf coming into her own and appears to be a quite strong elf at that.  While both men would prefer having her all to themselves, they are both willing to share if that is what it takes.  Since Etain has no interest in ridding herself of her first love, Cathal, for the ever so intriguing and magically gifted Eamon, share it is.  In her free time, Etain helps her FBI agent brother and police captain father catch criminals with her unique gift of stealing memories.  Their relationship appears somewhat strained, presumably explained in the first book, but really just hinted at in this story.  While Etain is trying to adjust to her new life while attempting to help her father and brother catch criminals, Cathal is also having some family problems including attempts on his life.  His family dynamics were also briefly touched upon but not really fleshed out in this book.  And then there is Eamon, an Elf Lord with immense power and yet for unknown reasons, he is willing to take a back seat to Etain and shares her without too much grumbling with Cathal.  Again, this may have made more sense in the first book.  The relationship developing between lesser characters Derek and Quinn, was actually more of a heartstring puller than the threesome.  This reader assumes their book may be the third one in the series?

While this reader enjoyed Jory Strong’s INKED DESTINY, there really was a whole lot of confusion created because the back-story wasn’t explained.  Without having read the first book in this series, INKED DESTINY ended up being a whole lot of unattached story threads that just sort of hung there.

Review by Tammy (TammyLRM@gmail.com)
*This is an objective review and not an endorsement*