By Kevin Hearne

Set in the Iron Druid world, the Ink and Sigil Series by Kevin Hearne follows sigil agent Al MacBharris through Scotland as he tries to do his job: maintaining order between a magical underworld and the human world using his skills with magical inks and sigils for everything from travel and treaties to combat and healing. While he performs these tasks, he also works to uncover who cast a curse on him that drives away everyone he loves if they hear him speak.

This urban fantasy world is filled with mythology, humor, and wonderful characters. When I began reading the first book, I thought it moved slowly. However, as I continued, the story picked up, and I couldn’t put it down, eagerly consuming each sequel as it was released. I enjoyed that MacBharris wasn’t some young superhero with extraordinary powers but rather an older widower trying to do his job and resolve his persistent issue of being cursed.

The characters are richly developed. Aside from Al MacBharris, there are other characters such as Buck Foi, his reluctant hobgoblin assistant, Nadia, a battle seer and overall badass, and Gladys-Who-Has-Seen-Some-Shite, who is actually…now you didn’t think I was going to spoil it for you, did you?

We follow Al’s life as he tries to discover who killed his previous apprentices (Ink and Sigil, Book 1), searches for a missing fellow sigil agent in Australia (Paper and Blood, Book 2), and navigates various paths to uncover how he was cursed (Candle and Crow, Book 3). Of course, the famous Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, along with his very good dogs (from the Iron Druid series, another one I recommend), makes appearances in a couple of these books.

Overall, it’s a very good series filled with interesting characters, intriguing mysteries, and a healthy dose of mythology. I highly recommend reading all of them.

Books in this Series:
Ink and Sigil
Paper and Blood
Candle and Crow