Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne

Book 2 in the Ink & Sigil Series

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Al, Buck, and Nadia are back and this time, they are battling supernatural beings in the wildly beautiful Australia. 

When the local sigil agent goes missing in Australia, Al and Buck immediately prepare for a search and rescue mission. Armed with sigils and the sharp wit of a hobgoblin, Al and Buck find themselves embroiled in a much larger conspiracy involving the Iron Druid, a God, and finally let us in on a few secrets about our mythical monsters. 

*Spoiler!* It’s Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster! We finally get her secrets! 

Hearne has delivered another action-packed joy ride full of humor and sharp dialogue. In this latest installment, we get even more insight into the lives and lore of Celtic legends and discover that there may be more to Al’s secretary, Gladys Who Has Seen Some Shite, than previously known. One thing I love about Hearne’s writing is how his characters are not annoying all-knowing creatures who can come across as talking down to readers. Al truly doesn’t know what’s going on with Gladys and the missing sigil agents' curious connections to the Iron Druid. As Al learns about the connections, the reader does as well. I dig that. 

This book is absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious. Buck is one of my favorite characters, and his ability to bring levity to some pretty dire situations was quite a feat. His love of stolen whiskey and cheese and powers of spicy peppers bring so much fun and joy to the story. I also really enjoyed how Nadia gets to showcase her amazing fighting skills and all-around kick-buttness as she helps save the day again.  Also, with Atticus entering the scene, now known as Conner, we get to spend some time with our favorite good dugs Oberon and Starbuck, and as always, they are an absolute delight.

This is a solid second book in the series and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m hoping Gladys is the focus of the next book but I completely understand if she remains a mystery forever. 

If you would like to add this book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. 

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