Book Review: Broken Ink by Jack Pyke

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Broken Ink
Author: Jack Pyke
Heroes: Kiyen/Falen
Genre: MM Fantasy
Length: 336 Pages
Publisher: Forbidden Fiction
Release Date: December 9, 2014
Available at: Forbidden Fiction and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Carrying a tattoo on your skin no longer just comes with a risk of infection. Get the composition right, you have the latest mind-control drug on the market. It’s the sex-traders’ dream, or worst nightmare, depending on the concentrated dose of the ink—and just who’s wearing it.

For Kiyen, the ink means he’s able to strip raw the minds of the best and worst of society. He’s one of MI7’s top killers and never more driven to select and take down a target. For Falen, the ink has ensured he’s spent his early years as a willing sex slave and low-grade empath. Hiding out in a small town and trying to bury the needs running through his body, Fal’s hoping to stay under the radar of MI7 and their specialist killers. But the ink itself has a mind of its own, wanting to ignite the natural dynamics driving a Dom and sub, so when Kiyen is forced into Fal’s small world, prejudice battles a pure need to touch. Only problem is: Kiyen’s on the run, and in a world where thought can be the worst crime of all, Fal’s in for a fight for his sanity to find out just what it is that’s making a young killer run for his life.

Review: There are certain authors who just have a quality and style of writing that just clicks. For me, that is Jack Pyke. There is so much depth to her stories – they grab hold and don’t let go until long after the book is closed, if at all. This is why Jack is an auto-read author for me, and to say I was super excited when I saw this new story, Broken Ink, is a gross understatement. I am thrilled to report that status has not changed.

Broken Ink is, much like the name and blurb indicate, a very intricate story. While I felt as though I didn’t understand what was going on at all times, the writing just captivated me. From the get go, when the children are taken and forced to be tattooed by Matt, I was riveted. Aside from that, there is something very sinister going on where the ink is concerned, but it really takes the whole story to fully understand what that entails. How can you not feel for the three surviving original inked children, Kiyen (Yen), Collin and Erin? How can you not feel something for Matt, the man forced those many years ago to tattoo those kids and who is now trying his hardest to make things right? And then there is Jules, the man who oversees them, their caretaker, “leader” and seeming mastermind behind the program.

Kiyen is on the run, hiding away from MI7, though they seem to be allowing it at the time. He has taken something important from Collin and Erin, and they want it back. Unfortunately, Yen seems to have blocked this out, not having any idea what they could be after. It is a big game of cat and mouse which leads to many twists and turns as the mystery unfolds. They each have unique “skills” from their ink, and they each use them against each other at one time or another. Yen’s bigger problem at first is that his ink has been locked. Matt enlists the aid of Falen (Fal), a young man who is somewhat hiding as well.

Fal was inked after the ink had been altered from its original, mostly lethal state, forcing him to be a sex slave. He’s also a low-level empathy, but he has the ability to unlock Yen, and they are drawn together via their different inks. They spend a lot of time fighting this and each other. Sounds a bit crazy, I know.

Like I said, this story is as intricate as the ink itself. There are twists and turns and lots of page turning, sometimes emotional, sometimes edge of your seat, action. Yen and Fal do not have the typical romantic relationship. Though they do seem to have things a bit more worked out at the end, there are still many issues in the way. But, it ends with them working together and forming a small family unit with a few others, in a way that leaves you to hope there are brighter skies ahead for them.

I didn’t want to put this story down once I started, and I absolutely was not ready for it to end. This is the kind of story that you can easily imagine took quite a bit of energy for the author to white. The blurb states this is a BDSM read, but honestly, I didn’t recall that being a very big element. There is so much going in here that anything of that nature, and even anything sexual, really takes a back seat to the rest of the plot. If you like paranormal/dystopian/futuristic type stories, you will not want to miss out on this one. It’s a very creative world, indeed.

Overall Impression: I loved it!

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*