Ink: The Book of All Hours

A little strange like the first book in the series Vellum but superb writing skills.

The description of place in Glasgow is so unreal, knew where he was talking about exactly through out the best being the description in Vellum of the area outside the Hub at the University. Didn't evenknow at that stage he was refering to Glasgow but the description alone gave it away.

Recommended if you want a piece of science fiction, time jumping, realm jumping and mind twisting action. Thrown together with angels and demons from classical tales.

A great book set in a complex and imaginative world (or worlds). The language was beautiful, I almost felt like reading parts out loud to hear the rhythm and rhyme of the well-chosen words. Following the characters' various shifts of personality and form in different worlds and timelines was a bit confusing, but this book was definitely worth reading. I'm looking forward to whatever Hal Duncan comes up with next!"

I like the transition of Myth and Religion
(arguably one and the same, of course)
between the first and second book.
This book is much better than the first,
although the ending left me... disappointed.
I'd rather stop reading earlier in the book,
back when I was wanting more.

Much better than the first book of the series - made struggling through the first (Vellum) worth the trip.

You should read my review of Hal's First book Vellum, before you read this one. He is an amazing storyteller, and no one else out there today has a style like his. I gotta say though, as much fun as the first book was, this one was just wayyyyyy too difficult to read. I still pick it up and try to finish the last 80 or so pages once every now and again, but I still can't get through it.

I understand what he's trying to do though. Ink takes place after the first book, and reality is basically shattered into pieces. So the fragmented storytelling style is actually a plot device just as much as it is Hal Duncan's way of telling a story.

But there are times when I don't know which character is doing what in which reality, and the shifts from reality to reality are sometimes so subtle that you stop to appreciate Hal's mastery at this fragmented fiction. Then you realize you're lost and even though this bit of awe you feel at his storytelling has your jaw a-slack, you can't make heads or tails of "where" you are in this book.

The story is VERY interesting, the delivery is a little TOO stylized for my taste.

The sequel to 'Vellum'. It's the most complex book I've read, next to Vellum itself. At times a very confusing weave of time-lines, subplots and characters, but once I relaxed and held the plot in my head loosely (instead of trying to force an understanding) it was a joyous read. Ink and Vellum are an experience rather than a destination. Readers may be confused by circular plots and narration, or by several characters with similar names and stories, but that is the tale. It's circular and multi-weaved rather than linear. Take your time to read and absorb and hopefully you won't be disappointed. I read this twice, years before I ever watched 'Lost', and the series seems simple and almost obvious in comparison.

quite slow in captivating your interest in the beginning due to a lot of different storylines to follow, but once you get the hang of it it'll prove difficult to put down, and will leave you wanting for more.

It could have been as brilliant as the first book, Vellum, but about 2/3 of the way through, I got tired of indulging it

Its a good book, a little on the confusing side, but once you get the hang of it it is an enjoyable read.

Highly interesting, and obviously a work of deep love and passion. However, it's hard to say exactly what I think of this book upon finishing it. It's certainly not linear, or an obvious way to go about telling a story, and sometimes that can be wonderful and eye-opening. Was this? Maybe. It's hard to say. I like the book, and am glad I read it, for all the wonderful ideas that are present in it, and the devotion to storytelling and progression that's present throughout the whole of it, but still, something feels desperate about it, and I wonder if maybe I'm not fully qualified for it. I think that maybe it's better to leave it to others, to love it or hate it, as most only could, one or the other.