Rating: 2/5



Genre: YA Fantasy



Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, death, confusion, historical inaccuracies, plot holes, and weak writing).



Pages: 336



Author Website


Amazon Link


I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.



Synopsis: A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother―a noted scriptologist―constantly alters and expands their reality.

But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology―and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created―and only she can stop it.



I am really disappointed in this book. I like steampunk and I liked what I heard about this book, so I was really hyped to read it. But avast, it was not so. The story is great and the use of the Oxford comma in the title was a plus for me. But sadly, that’s where the fun times end.



This book is really hard to get into. Not counting the fact that the e-arc had a lot of issues with how it was displayed (random chopped up words and random spaces in words) this book was really boring for me. The book was confusing from the get go and I read at least every other chapter twice because of how confused I was. There are numerous plot holes in this book and when you think about it, this world doesn’t make any sense and neither does the main characters actions. The book had little character development and the world building was missing. This book needs world building and it’s just not there. It also took a bit for me to figure out the time period this book was set in. Also, some of the book takes place in Sardinia but there’s no mention of the native, main language. The point of a steampunk novel is to have modern day inventions with a twist, but there’s none of that for a lot of the items like flamethrowers for instance. The core drive of a steampunk is to be a technophobes dream, but this book had little technology building to it (which I don’t include on every review, but for a steampunk I believe it’s important).



Verdict: It was a skip for me for several reasons, but if you’re looking for a Last Magician esque book then by all means please read this one. This book did not do it for me sadly.

"A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother—a noted scriptologist—constantly alters and expands their reality."

All of this was a Yes! The world building is amazing in how the scriptologists actually create their worlds by writing it into being. The historical and steampunk elements are so much fun! The characters, especially Elsa, are intelligent and just really fun to read about.

Elsa lives in Veldana, a world created by the scriptologist Charles Montaigne. Ink, Iron, and Glass starts with Elsa tinkering with a clockwork glove in the water. She decides to visit Jumi, her mother. In a quick moment, someone abducts her mother taking her mother's portal device. Elsa is left to fend for herself. She makes sure the spare portal device is with her just in case she needs to use it in an emergency.

Elsa makes sure the Veldana Wordbook is in tact because if it's not, Veldana will cease to exist. After all, worlds only exist when a scriptologist pens the world to existence. This rare gift is passed down and is very valuable.

Gwendolyn Clare crafted a wonderful and alluring novel where science and magic collide. Elsa meets other characters who are gifted with other talents who help her hunt down the Worldbook before it's destroyed or placed in the wrong hands. Travel locations included places like Italy and France.

Although the premise sounds fantastic, I did have some issues with the pacing of the novel. The instalove came on strong. The novel didn't have that spark that kept me wanting more throughout the book. Readers who enjoy a mixture of travel, steampunk, historical fiction and fantasy will find this novel intriguing. Join Elsa on a journey full of magic and the old world adventures in Ink, Iron, and Glass.

When I first read the summary for Ink, Iron, and Glass, I was absolutely psyched. I couldn't believe that somebody had finally written an alternate historical fiction novel with a magic system that included scriptology. However, this meant that my expectations going into the book were sky-high. While there were parts of Ink, Iron, and Glass that I enjoyed, I was a bit disappointed overall.

The book opens as Elsa's mother, a renowed Scriptologist, is kidnapped. With the world they inhabit in danger, Elsa must cross into the real world in search of answers. At first, I found the universe of this book absolutely fascinating. It combines steampunk and magic with 19th century Italy. However, as the story progressed, I found it harder to visualize the world since everything, from the speech to the devices, seemed so modern. The plot was a bit slower, which allowed for the world-building necessary to understand this world. There was also an unexpected political aspect, which I wish had been developed more. The ending was intriguing enough to make me want to read the next installment.

The magic system was easily my favorite part of the novel. It was so creative and unique, I loved the concept. I thought that the characters in Ink, Iron, and Glass were wonderfully diverse. I loved that they came from a variety of backgrounds and histories. The friendships were believable and interesting. Unfortunately, I wasn't really able to connect to any of the characters. The writing style made it hard for me to relate to them. I also wasn't a huge fan of the romance, it was a bit insta-lovey and I didn't see the connection. 

The concept for Ink, Iron, and Glass was incredibly innovative and unique. It had magic, politics, and adventure galore. While this story didn't quite work for me, perhaps due to my high expectations, I do think that this one will appeal to many readers.

I loved this story! Fantasy and steampunk meets alternative historical fiction. The characters were wonderful; Elsa is smart, inventive and wholly herself. Leo reminded me of Jace Herondale (City of Bones) when we first "meet" him, in the way that Jace is snarky but loveable in so many ways. There is a romance, slow burn but isn't the main focus of the story. The pacing was wonderful, the worldbuilding was wonderful and I loved the whole premise especially the idea of people being able to create new worlds. Definitely recommend for anyone who likes Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters books, especially Infernal Devices, girls who rock at what they do, great friend groups.

The idea of this book sounded fascinating when I read the blurb, but I did start running out of steam for it early on. I enjoyed the story and the characters, and I'll probably try the next book as well, but I hope the writing style changes a bit to keep the pace better, and definitely examine the characters more. It's always interesting to see fantasy melded with actual history, and it was generally handled well here. The teens will probably enjoy this one and hopefully have them digging into the historical fiction more.

Elsa’s mother has been abducted and she has crossed into the real world in order to use her scriptology gifts to find her mother. Although it is Italy in the 19th-century, many people have gifts that give them an advantage in alchemy, mechanics and even scriptology. Elsa is introduced to a group of young people who are gifted orphans and she tries her best to get them to assist her in her quest. Will they be able to uncover the hidden truths that even the adults don’t fully understand? Who can she trust when the fate of her mother on the line?

Ink, Iron, and Glass is the first book in a series by the same name. The story is captivating in its simplicity and mesmerizing with its complexities. It seems like that can’t be so, yet that is the only way I can explain it. Clare has weaved together historical events with a steampunk adventure and readers will easily find themselves turning page after page to discover the truth. Since this is a first book in the series it doesn’t have a firm ending, yet the primary goal of the main story is brought to a satisfactory conclusion. A fun read and I will be looking forward to the next book in this series.

I kind of have mixed feelings about this book. I spent the first 25-50 pages wondering what the hell was going on and I almost DNF’d it. But I always feel an obligation to finish ARC’s that I receive so I pushed through and I am glad I did. The story did get better as it went along. It still wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be from the premise, but it was interesting enough that I will probably pick up the second book.

The scriptology aspect of the book is what made me want to read this book. And I think that is what I found so confusing at the start of the book. It starts in Veldana, the world were Elsa and her mother live, and it took me awhile to understand the way this world worked. It only got more confusing when Elsa takes a portal to Paris and then to Amsterdam. It took awhile to understand how things worked in this alternate world that is part science and part magic and also and alternative history. The scriptology part remains somewhat of a mystery to me, but if you just think of it as more magical than science, you can let yourself get caught up in the story.

The group that Elsa ends up with are all what is know as pazzerellones, which means ‘mad people’. They each have a special talent that is either for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology. It is implied that most of these talented people are considered mad by most of society, although they are willing to take their talents and use them to their own benefits. The first half of the book often referred to them as mad (as in crazy) which kind of bothered me. Eventually pazzerellones took over as the preferred word, which also annoyed me because I have no idea how to pronounce it. But that is pretty minor. The science part of this story with the mechanical bots and other steampunk like tools were fascinating and fun to read about. I also liked the alchemical parts, especially Faraz’s little tentacled creature, Skandar.

I liked all of the characters, and this is what kept me reading and interested in the story. Elsa is an interesting young lady, smart and not afraid to speak her mind. She is some what socially awkward, not having grown up in Europe, so not knowing the social rules that governed that time. She is also fiercely independent and had a hard time accepting help from anyone. I really liked Leo, he was also smart and independent with a haunted past. His past definitely plays into his actions in this book. I am not totally sold on their romance, but it might work out in the end. Porzia and Faraz are also very likable, but not as well filled out as characters as the other two. It will be interesting to see how they progress in the next book as well.

The story, while somewhat confusing and slow to start, does get better. If you stick it out you will be rewarded with a fast paced and interesting read. This is an alternative history of Italy, although it is based in real facts and historical figures. There is political intrigue and some good twists in the story that were a surprise. I would have liked a little more steampunk, and I am not sure I am sold on the sentient house part of the story, but I do like her personality.

Overall, this is a decent start to an interesting series. I will probably pick up the next one, just to see what happens, especially with Leo.

This was a neat read with a dreamlike feel. Took me awhile to get into this. The main character was clever and I liked her interactions with the other characters.

In the beginning it was a bit slow, but it picked up midway. Fun read but nothing very new.

2.5 stars

Elsa lives in a world made by her mother through the scientific branch of scriptology where a person can write new worlds.

But, when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must travel to the real world–historical 19th-century Italy–where she finds a secret society of young people with gifts like her own in scriptology, as well as mechanics and alchemy. On the way, she meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past, as well as many other friends who help her find her kidnapped mother and fend of assassins.

I really wanted to enjoy this. Really, really.

I had so many hopes–this was going to magical and dangerous and a total romp through the woods with twists and turns and betrayal and swoon-worthy romance. I wanted to be in Clare’s spell–following along enthusiastically.

I forgot that this was a fantasy. (Technically, steampunk, which is basically fantasy in this case.) Fantasy can have books that are huge successes for me, mediocre stories, or total disasters. This fell into that unhelpful middle category of having so much potential, but unfortunately lacking in execution, making it average and bland.

I so wanted to enjoy this, and on some aspects I managed to–the magic system, although somewhat basic and sometimes-but-not-always convenient, was interesting and novel to me, and I loved reading about the scriptology and alchemy and mechanics and this was all so interesting–there was vast potential in this storyline.

Although I feel like this wasn’t fully explored in this book, I do have high hopes for this plotline in the next novel as I think it made good progress and has more yet to come.

This was really the highlight of the novel–I just loved the steampunk aspect, and the historical-Italy setting didn’t hurt either.

But what ended up averaging with the five (and also marring other parts of the story) was just the characters.
They were all so flat. I never really got a chance to grasp who they were and to understand their hopes and dreams and desires on a deeper scale rather than “Leo has daddy issues” and “Elsa misses her mother” and it was all very two-dimensional. It felt like I’d met all of the characters before in other books, seeing the same type of backstory or the same entitlement or the same sort of dynamic. And it’s not necessarily unoriginality, but it’s just so bland and regular and common. Just like clichés aren’t all bad, common characters aren’t all bad either.

But they are in such a grand scale that no character felt unique to me. Where they did have developed backstories or layered issues, it was still something that didn’t give the reader that greater sense of understanding and made me feel like I was knowing what they wanted me to see, not what I wanted to see.

And I know that this is someone’s baby–Clare is bound to love the characters like they were her own because she crafted them. How can I go and insult something that someone else loves?

Yet, I have to be honest and say that I unfortunately just didn’t like this batch of characters. Besides feeling done-before and two-dimensional, there were just things about them that bothered me.

Elsa was nearly flawless all around–she does almost everything right and is successful when she tries and is hardworking and the paragon of a good, hardworking daughter. But wait–she’s totally flawed emotionally because “love is a weakness.” (See quote for uncorrected proof:)

“Jumi had taught her that love was a weakness–that if you let someone in, you gave them the power to hurt you.”

This trope doesn’t always bother me, but I felt like it wasn’t hashed out enough. The only thing this really affected was Elsa’s love issues and this was one of the more miniscule parts of the novel.

Leo, the other main protagonist, also suffers from unhashed-backstory-syndrome and he’s got problems after both his parents and his brother died in an attack. I can’t spoil too much of this plotline, but I just wasn’t really a fan of how this worked out and it felt cliché.

There’s a few other things that I wanted to point out that were effects of the characters.

Firstly, the romance was just something I wasn’t into. I didn’t feel like there was chemistry and Leo and Elsa felt more platonic than anything to me. When they did have a little spark, it felt pretty forced to me and I would have been a lot more satisfied if they just stayed friends.

I liked how Clare added diversity in Elsa being brown, but I felt like it was almost tiptoed around. Actually tackling the idea of race in this circumstance would have really changed the narrative to make it more profound, but by tiptoeing around this idea that “Oh, Elsa’s brown, but we don’t know too much about it” made it seem kind of there to be there rather than there to be used and addressed. I understand if Clare is uncomfortable with writing about this (better to stay in your own lane than to go and offend a couple dozen people), but I wanted more from this and felt that there was a lot of potential in this storyline that was lacking because Elsa was so cookie-cutter.

Also, the plot was largely fine by me. They did some traipsing around and talking and trying to find something to do, which didn’t bother me too much. Things sped up later in the story during the climax where they were doing all sorts of crazy things in labyrinths.

But what bothered me about the plot was a decision Leo makes which the reader discovers at the very, very end, and it led me to developing an intense dislike for his character. He take the choice away from others without them knowing, and this was a terrible move for him to do without counsel. I felt like he was “playing God” and doing things that shouldn’t be done, and I really hope this is addressed as something that shouldn’t be done during book 2.

Overall, I didn’t really enjoy this book very much and it ended up being a large fault of the characters. And this isn’t a terrible book–for me, it ended up being unfortunately average and bland for the most part–but if the characters do sound like people you’d like (not everyone shares my opinions of them being bland), then I say go for it. This just ended up being not the book for me. (Though I give it a giant kudos for including the serial comma!)

The review links will go live on February 18th and will also be shared on Twitter.

This was an interesting book it has a Steampunk element and the magic system is unique as it has a mixture of science and magic. Id recommend it if you want a complex story.

Ink, Iron, and Glass. Doesn't that just roll off the tongue perfectly? Well get your butts ready because so does Gwendolyn Clare's writing! I was actually really nervous going into this because I'd seen a lot of mixed reviews. But I ended up thinking it was really good! The basic premise is this, Elsa is a young girl who is basically created from ink, her mother being her creator. Suddenly her home is ravaged and her mother abducted and Elsa has to put on her big girl pants and cross into the "real" world to find her.

LIKES:
-Steampunk alternate universe with an italian setting (how cool does that sound!?)
-Non-stop adventure!
-Redeeming main character (about time!)
-Romance that actually doesn't take away from the main plot of the book! (this should immediately sell this book for you)
-SCIENCE!! Like it's all The Big Bang Theory up in here!)

DISLIKES:
-Writing became ever so slightly incoherent toward the end
-Main character could have used a bit more personality

This book is a duology and I think it's safe to say that I really want that next book.

Ink, Iron, and Glass was a really unique adventure ride that I wish I could take again for the first time! Steampunk set in late 19th century Italy is a really fresh take on the genre, in my opinion. There are scriptologists who can write whole new worlds into existence. Think about every book you’ve ever read. Now, if a scriptologist wrote it, you could travel inside that world!! How freaking awesome is that?! There are also mechanics who can build crazy inventions that defy their time. And there are alchemists who can mix up a potion (or antidote…) on the spot. Very interesting stuff to read about, y’all!

Elsa, a scriptologist, was a really engaging character to read about. She had the most character growth going from a major loner who didn’t need anyone in the beginning of the book, to relying on a few trusted individuals who earned it. I enjoyed reading how all four of the characters came together and solved their problems together. There is a part in the book where they go to a labyrinth and each person adds something important in solving it. It kind of reminded me of The Infernal Devices trilogy a little bit because of the group camaraderie and steampunk feel.

I gave this book 4 stars because it was such a fun read, however there were a few things stopping me from giving it 5 stars. I thought that the romance felt a little forced. There wasn’t a lot of chemistry there. I also feel like I won’t re-read this book. It didn’t stay in my head and I moved on really easily to my next book.

All in all, I thought this was a really fun read. It had everything I love in a story; romance, a BA heroin, good world building, and a plot twist that hurts.

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

Ink, Iron, & Glass is a steampunk fantasy set in an alternate 1800's Italy. In a world where scriptologists can literally create new worlds in books, Elsa must leave everything she knows to save her mother. A noted scriptologist, her mother has been kidnapped by Italian revolutionaries and Elsa embarks on an adventure filled with new friends to find her and uncover why she was taken. I was really excited by the premise, but the execution was (unfortunately!) just okay.

The mechanics of the world-building- with the worlds scribed into books- reminded me a lot of the Myst computer game and novelizations from the 1990's. The way scriptology works is very similar, although this has a much more steampunk vibe. The storyline works from an alternate history of Italy. I don't know much about Italian history so that was kind of interesting.

As a character, Elsa seemed like a fairly typical YA heroine but I didn't really connect emotionally with her and wish she had more complexity that we SEE instead of just hearing about it. Similarly, I felt like the side characters had the potential to be interesting, but weren't fully fleshed out. Even her love interest wasn't as interesting as he should have been given his history. I was mostly irritated at how threatened he was by Elsa's intellectual capabilities (and the fact that she felt bad about flaunting them!). Plus, this has a very insta-love feel, which I'm never a fan of.

We also didn't get much insight into the politics of various organizations and I'm not sure why we got some of the adult POV's if they weren't going to add much to the story. Add to that the fact that the ending is a serious cliff-hanger in a book where not that much actually happened, and I felt really unsatisfied with how the book ended. The plot arc didn't feel like a complete one and the book really could have been longer. Or just have this be a single book instead of a duology.

Overall, I wanted to love this book, but it just didn't live up to the hype for me. It wasn't terrible, and it was a pretty quick read but I really wanted more from it. However, if you want a quick, steampunk adventure it could be a fun one to pick up. I would just manage expectations. I received an advance e-book copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ink, Iron, and Glass is a steampunk novel set in an alternative universe where mad scientists abound and anyone with a gift for alchemy, mechanics, or "scriptology" (the science of literally writing worlds into existence) are considered crazy and either locked away or exploited for their talents. Enter Elsa, a young girl who is the by-product of scriptology, aka she was written into existence rather than being born into it naturally. She lives on an alternate world called Veldana with her mother, Jumi, who wrested control of Veldana away from their creator and is now the one responsible for maintaining said world. But when Jumi is stolen away by a secret rebel force bent on unifying the Italian states at any and all costs, Elsa must brave earth and try to save her mother before it's too late.

I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this one at first. It's kind of a slow start. But then I started to get wrapped up in the story and the world and by the end I was pretty invested. It reminded me a bit of Rachel Caine's The Great Library series, which I love, though it's hard to say why. I think it's the alternate history - both series have a similar asthetic to them. Plus, they've each got a unique group of characters taking center stage.

"'At least one thing is going well. We are overdue for some good luck.' 'If you will excuse my forwardness, signorina: you are a pazzerellone. You make your own luck.'"

Elsa is a straightforward heroine and I really like how independent she is. Her one flaw is probably that she doesn't really seem to have a flaw. I mean the girl is a polymath, meaning she's great at all three of the sciences naturally, and that means she can pretty much force a solution into existence whenever she needs one. Her abilities were very interesting, but I would like to see her face a few more situations in which she can't just "create" a perfect solution. I want to see her really stretch herself to her limits in the next book.

As for the rest of her merry band... I loved Porzia's fierce protectiveness, Faraz' spirit (and his sweet little one-eyed tentacled monster baby, Skandar), and Leo's unyielding desire to always be better than the competition. Because I loved them, the ending hit harder and hurt more than it would have otherwise. Just be prepared to fall apart at the end.

"The truth is always preferable, even if it is an ugly truth."

The Italian setting was perfect for this story, and I am so excited to dive back in and see what's in store for us in the next book. Ink, Iron, and Glass really plays with reality and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Can you rewrite a world gone wrong?

A certain person with a certain pen and a certain book can make that possible. Through a science called Scriptology. Elsa comes from one of those worlds and her mother is the creator of it.

But her home is attacked and her mother is abducted and Elsa must cross into the real world to find her. She finds a secret society of pazzerellones and recruits their help just when an assassin arrives on her doorstep.

This book absolutely sucked me in. The prospect of there being actual world's in books was extremely intriguing. I also thought it was incredibly cool that Elsa was training under her mom, Jumi, to write the world they live in one day.

Though there were times I was not into the main character, most of the characters are pretty great. There's not a huge focus on romance, it's definitely geared more toward the adventure. If you were a fan of Book Jumper you are really going to enjoy this book.

Ink, Iron, and Glass is an interesting story that follows Elsa, a girl who lives in a world that was created by being written into existence in a book. Her mother is kidnapped and her world is put in danger so she travels to Earth and ends up finding help and friendship with a group of teens with gifts similar to her own. The story itself was very interesting for me. I loved the idea of writing the definitions and distinctions of a world into a book and creating that pocket world from nothing. The way the author describes how difficult and specific the characters have to be in order to write these worlds was one of my favorite things because world building is tremendously difficult and any small mistakes could end up being catastrophic so I like that that was addressed. However, I felt that the main romance fell flat. It was very much a case of insta-love and I hated how many times Elsa stops and is described as staring at his flexing muscles. Why? You are doing something serious right now, I do not need to hear about his muscles despite the fact that we never see him working out in any way. The twists at the end were really interesting though and the last third of the book really picked up the action so I enjoyed reading that. For me, this was just an average book. It had some good moments, the friendships and the labyrinth they have to get through at the end really stood out for me. But it had some really slow, dull moments as well. I think some people would really enjoy this book but I don't think it is one that I would recommend for everyone.

The premise of Ink, Iron, and Glass just sounded really spectacular, and I was super excited to read it. I just found it so slow going. I put the book aside multiple times because I thought that maybe it was just the January blues, but it wasn't. There just wasn't any part of the book that made me want to read more of it.

Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother—a noted scriptologist.

But when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative 19th-century Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones—young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

Ink, Iron and Glass is a highly imaginative book in a new series. It is perfect for fans of steampunk but also those who enjoy the 'book jumper' thematic trend plus history, alternative world building and romance. Definite appeal to the right reader who likes these genres.

I was a little surprised by the ending but have a feeling there will be a lot happening for book 2.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars.