REVIEW: “The Ink of Elspet” by J.D. Peabody
About the Book:
✦ Title: The Ink of Elspet
✦ Author: J.D. Peabody
✦ Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
✦ Series: Book #1 in the Inkwell Chronicles series
✦ Recommend for: 11/12+, but depends on the reader
My Personal Rating
3 ⭐
📖 Synopsis
Immerse yourself in this fast-paced middle-grade fantasy about magic ink, a secret society, and a boy who yearns to make his mark.
When their father goes missing after a mysterious train crash, Everett and his little sister Bea find a curious pen in his belongings, and its magical Ink begins to rewrite their once-ordinary lives. The Ink leads them to a world they never knew existed—one teeming with impossible magic, formidable allies, and villains who are determined to destroy everything they hold dear. Together, Everett and Bea embark on an adventure through secret tunnels in England and Scotland to find and protect the last Inkwell, and ultimately to save their father. But in order to do so, Everett must find a way to tap into the most magical power of all: his courage. Evoking A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this classic battle of good and evil pits creativity against the forces that would seek to blot it out for good.
When their father goes missing after a mysterious train crash, Everett and his little sister Bea find a curious pen in his belongings, and its magical Ink begins to rewrite their once-ordinary lives. The Ink leads them to a world they never knew existed—one teeming with impossible magic, formidable allies, and villains who are determined to destroy everything they hold dear. Together, Everett and Bea embark on an adventure through secret tunnels in England and Scotland to find and protect the last Inkwell, and ultimately to save their father. But in order to do so, Everett must find a way to tap into the most magical power of all: his courage. Evoking A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this classic battle of good and evil pits creativity against the forces that would seek to blot it out for good.
💭 My Thoughts
“One of Gilroy’s mustache hairs whizzed through the air and lodged itself deep in the side of the animal.” (A hilariously out of context line 🤣)
This was a pretty solid middle-grade fantasy book! What especially stood out to me was the creativity and uniqueness of the story, which is something I think many middle-grade readers would really enjoy…some examples of said creativity would include Blotters, the creatures that turn into gargoyles if they enter a church, the place called Writer’s Block (🤭), Pinches, and the Blank Ages. There were a lot of elements that made this really fun and whimsical, and I liked the emphasis on imagination and creating.
I will say that I didn’t really like Everett- he was grumpy throughout the whole book for no apparent reason and thatgot on my nerves, but I did like Bea and their father. I don’t think I would call this Christian fiction, but I also appreciated the respectful view of Christianity and church and the little nods to them within the story.
Something I did not care for was were the giants…I felt that they were very out of place and not really explained or dealt with, and I’m just not that much of a fantasy person 😂 Also, I kind of wish there had been more pages about the family before everything starts happening- more background/buildup instead of being thrust right into the adventure. That being said though, that may be a good thing for younger readers who want lots of action right away.
Overall, this was a fun, creative, engaging middle-grade fantasy story. I’m not in the target market, thus my personal rating, but I do think that it would be a great read perhaps for ages 11 or 12 and up, depending on their sensitivity and what they’ve read in the past.
⚠️ Some content notes for younger readers
Language- none, just words like “idiot”, “moron”, “blast”, etc., and curses are said but unwritten.
Violence- a train crash; knocking people unconscious; mentions of off-page torture; a severely injured boy is found and his condition is described; getting attacked by an animal; prior to the book a character cut off his foot in order to save it; being temporarily paralyzed; being struck by lightening,; fighting, pain, blood, and lots of injuries are all described in semi-detail.
Magic- the story revolves around a magical pen and Ink, which are described as “liquid imagination” and are behind all creativity (books, music, art…)- it is also used for some other things such as healing injuries; other fantasy elements include giants, a talking horse, and turning people into dogs.
Other- the kids’ mother died while giving birth prior to the book starting; the kids grieve the loss of their father; being captured, locked up & drugged; a giant kisses a character; Everett sees a couple kiss and is uncomfortable; lying.
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Bookishly yours,
Lottie M.
