Juno Books

AMAZON INK by Lori Devoti

Amazon Ink

"This intriguing series from urban fantasist Devoti marks Juno's first outing as a Pocket imprint....Devoti's fascinating mix of myth and reality will keep readers engaged." -- Publishers Weekly

"Gifted Devoti adds urban fantasy to her growing list of genres with the launch of a gritty first-person series featuring modern-day Amazons. Secrets and stubbornness impact all the major players in this dark drama/murder mystery. If this book is any indication, Devoti has a brilliant future ahead in this genre!" (4.5 Stars) -- RTimes Book Review

"Ms. Devoti pens an intriguing tale with a legend brought to life in a modern day world. Amazon Ink has murder, mystery, and magic that will keep readers engrossed in the story until the very end." -- Darque Reviews

June 2009
Mass Market Paperback
372 pages | $7.99
ISBN: 978-1-4391-5427-4

On Simon&Schuster.com
Meet Mel: Business owner.
Dedicated mom. Natural-born Amazon.

It's been ten years since Melanippe Saka left the Amazon tribe in order to create a normal life for her daughter, Harmony. True, running a tattoo parlor in Madison, Wisconsin while living with your Amazon warrior mother and priestess grandmother is not everyone's idea of normal, but Mel thinks she's succeeded at blending in as human.

Turns out she's wrong. Someone knows all about her, someone who's targeting young Amazon girls, and no way is Mel is going to let Harmony become tangled in this deadly web. With her mother love in overdrive, Ms. Melanippe Saka is quite a force...even when she's facing a barrage of distractions--including a persistent detective whose interest in Mel goes beyond professional, a sexy tattoo artist with secrets of his own, and a seriously angry Amazon queen who views her as a prime suspect. To find answers, Mel will have to do the one thing she swore she'd never do: embrace her powers and admit that you can take the girl out of the tribe...but you can't take the tribe out of the girl.

Don't miss Amazon Queen! (Book Two)

More Reviews:

"This debut book is a fantastic kick-off for the budding Amazons series, and author Lori Devoti imbues urban fantasy with new depth in creating her Amazons and their descendants. The author's creativity and resultant storyline are a beautiful blend of the real and fictional.... Amazon Ink sets a high bar for future installments in the new series. Filled with continual plot twists, extraordinary characters, and endless creativity, Devoti's cast of Amazons rejuvenates the urban fantasy genre, peopling her world with a group of supernaturals that offers a welcome alternative to the dearly loved yet too-familiar Others that frequent this genre's leading character types." -- Curled Up With a Good Book

"Lori Devoti has demonstrated her ground-breaking talent in previous releases, and her skill shines even brighter in her first book about an out of the ordinary subject.... Lori Devoti knows how to entertain and captivate by keeping the surprises coming one after another...[she] expertly blends the truths we know with the legends of the Amazons to create an exceedingly noteworthy story, one filled with dynamic characters and a convincing premise. From the very start of this book, I felt as though I was reading about actual people who might live in my community yet posses various atypical plus hidden abilities. Each individual seems to come alive in personality...As each disclosure of the many mysteries is divulged, I was engrossed by every fascinating revelation. Lori Devoti has crafted an outstanding urban fantasy with strong characters plus creative writing, and I cannot wait to read more about this believable world. AMAZON INK is an enchanting novel brimming with mystery, emotion and an abundance of magic." -- SingleTitles.com

"FIVE STARS! This story is full of surprises and quite a few twists as well. I had no time to get too comfortable before something happened to throw me for a loop. I can hardly wait for the second release in what appears to be a new series. Lori Devoti's writing talent spins a web of magic around the reader. And with a story like this one, I hope never to get free. Outstanding!" -- Huntress Reviews

"Amazon Ink, by Lori Devoti, is an entertaining read with a unique urban fantasy setting....Amazon Ink's world... is original and intriguing. The idea of an urban fantasy setting based on an Amazon tribe's adaptation to the modern world is a nice change from the popular vampires, werewolves, and fairies, and the twist at the end leaves much potential for future sequels." Corpus Christi Examiner

Even though gender and family roles take center stage in this urban fantasy novel, there is a unique twist on the Amazonian mythos that offers a touch of ethnicity blended with mythology. The primary goddess behind the Amazons is Artemis, who you may remember from Greek mythology. Tattoos are part of the "magic" in Amazon Ink, which is part of the reason why Melanippe is a suspect in both the Amazonian world and the human one. There are a few male characters that offer great counterpoints to Mel's impulsiveness; Pete (a tattoo artist she ends up employing) and Detective Reynolds. If you're looking for their characters to be weak-willed and subservient to the Amazons, you'll be sadly disappointed. There's a little bit of sexual tension that makes you wonder whether or not Mel will end up in a romantic entanglement, which adds a little bit of spice to Mel's passionate character.

I have to say that I liked the twist on the Amazonian culture because there are several unique facets to it that were revealed in the first book. The interpersonal character conflicts heat up as the mystery takes center stage, enhancing the pacing and my curiosity to find out the real culprit. (Not only did I guess the identity of the murderer wrong, but I also got the murderer's motives wrong, too.)

As the first urban fantasy book in a series, Amazon Ink is a fast read with enough twists and turns to hold your attention and keep you wanting for more. This would be a good book for anyone who enjoys powerful characterizations and high magic in their urban fantasy novels." -- Flames Rising

"This is an interesting urban fantasy starring a courageous amazon whose fumbling investigation seems apropos for an amateur sleuth as she is like a bull in a china shop once she begins her bungled inquiry. The story line is fast-paced but Mel makes it work as her actions bring the fantasy elements especially the nomadic Amazons alive and well in Madison. With a fabulous late twist, Lori Devoti sets up further AMAZON INK thrillers." -- Alternative Worlds

"I wasn't going to read Amazon Ink because I thought a race of strong, intelligent, highly independent women would be unable to find any men to match them. Boy was I wrong. I am extremely thankful to Erica Feldon [Juno's publicity person at Pocket] for sending me the amazing story Amazon Ink. This is going to be a hot urban fantasy series, full of incredible twists, and I look forward to learning more about Mel, her family, the men in her life and her friends." --Scooper

"Mixing myth and modern day is no mean feat, but Ms. Devoti does [it] with ease. All in all Lori Devoti makes her way through the forest that is Urban Fantasy and does so completely unscathed." --Preternatural Reviews

"Amazon Ink... had a really refreshing take on the Amazon legend that was perfectly integrated with the 'real' world to create a seamless urban fantasy experience. Lori Devoti's mythology and detail made the world of Amazon Ink come to life and helped the characters feel more complex. The characters... are bonded together by realistic relationships and complex adult problems that make the story even better... I enjoyed Amazon Ink far more than I thought I would. I picked up the book because I thought the story might be fun (and maybe a little campy), but I ended up getting hooked. I'm excited for the sequel, Amazon Queen."--Diary of a Book Addict

"Wasn't much interested in Urban Fantasy until this one and I wouldn't have picked it up without a recommendation from my good buddy, Tia over at Fantasy Debut (now morphed into Debuts & Reviews.) Modern day Amazon Mama, totally engaging world-building, not a stereotype in sight that I could see." (Review--Top Ten of 2009

About the Author

LORI DEVOTI grew up in southern Missouri and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Journalism. She worked for three different newspapers in two different states before deciding to stay home with her children and begin writing fiction. She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and children as well as two dogs. The author of two contemporary romances and half-a-dozen paranormal romances, Lori makes her urban fantasy debut with Amazon Ink.

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