Ink, Fire, Beauty

by Jordan Renee

“The moment he took power, Emperor Xórong declared himself a collector of beauty. He began to gather and hoard, binding his treasures for display like bundles of flowers in gold-dusted vases. His rule stretched across decades, rich and unchallenged, until the day one of his flowers left her vase, befriended a devil, and set fire to the Empire's edge.” Túlià, a young painter in Emperor Xórong's court, hopes to fulfill her mother's dying wish and visit the mountains where her grandparents fell in love. When she finally receives permission to make the trip, the Emperor assigns one of his demon warriors, a masked Zānshì, to accompany her for protection. Frightened by tales of the Zānshì since she was a child, Túlià spends most of the journey avoiding him. But, when a deadly accident removes her Zānshì’s mask and the Emperor threatens her ancestral home, Túlià learns what a true demon really is, and she sets out to destroy the most powerful Empire in the world with nothing but a paintbrush and a single, unexpected ally. Inspired by centuries of Chinese history and culture, this fantasy world of Ink, Fire, and Beauty uses the fierce tension of impending war and the eloquence of ancient artistry to show what really lies beneath the masks of our worst enemies.

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2021

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read for people looking for an interesting, character driven story that has short chapters perfect for quick consumption. The characters are very well written, realistic and relatable. Definitely would recommend, especially for people who want to read but are busy. The short chapters are perfect for reading in small bits. I read it while super busy and managed to fit in a couple chapters when I had free time.

[T.N. Traynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and haunting

Oh I so loved this tale.
A story of beauty and its many spectrums.
Friendship, love, family, honour, trust, and understanding but most importantly the aspect and gift of listening are the strong underlying themes to this beautiful, haunting story.
I hope the author will do a book 2.
The only thing that let it down was poor formatting. In some places, especially in the first half of the book two persons speaking together were in one paragraph and not even separated by action or speech tags so that in a few places it became impossible to know who was talking, there's also a lot of missing opening speech marks. Still, a tiny thing in comparison to how special this story is. Loved, loved, loved it! Please write more!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a delightful read. Jordan Renee is an extremely gifted writer. Her characters are well developed, likable, and engaging. The plot has unexpected twists and turns, leaving you genuinely surprised. I found myself unable to put the book down, reading late into the night several times. My only disappointment is having to wait for her to write another book! This book is absolutely a must read.

[Nuala · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up at a book signing, had zero expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. Likable characters and solid plot. I liked the twists and didn’t see one of them coming. Recommended.