This may be the most metal book I’ve read all year. Or…ever, which says more about me than the book. Oh, well.

I just happened to pick this book up when Crossover Alliance gave away all their books for free one day (That was an awe. some. day.). I’ve seen Carver’s name around, but finally sat down to read one of his books.

And I am already a fan.

TITLE: Indelible 
AUTHOR: Mark Carver
GENRE: Contemporary

THE STORY

Cameron is a weaponsmith, and a pretty good one. He’s making a few weapons for graphic novel nerds and movie studios, and he’s even got a pretty new neighbor who seems into him. Despite all this, something seems amiss. Cameron wants a change.

So he gets a wicked tattoo on his face.

That one little decision turns his world around. Credibility skyrockets, women swoon, strangers gape, and Cameron feels more like the glorified barbarian, mighty…and alone. But what happens when what’s on the outside bleeds to the inside? Or…is it merely a reflection of what was always in his heart?

WHAT WORKED

Uniqueness and simplicity.

I have never read a book about a metalsmith or anything in that world. It’s a fun new character role, and even led to a sword fight between two blacksmiths at a con after watching a death metal video. I wish I could add a guitar riff to that sentence.

But the true joy is simplicity. It’s just a guy getting a tattoo, but that single decision leads him down the road to money, fame, and crazy parties. Even Cameron sits back and wonders how this is happening sometimes, but he’s not sure whether or not he wants to stop it.

I liked Cameron and his neighbor Mindy, who in a way represents goodness in simplicity while Cameron itches for the extreme. They have a good relationship, even as they’re exploring just what that relationship is.

The story doesn’t quite follow the rise-fall-rise pattern of these Hollywood-gone-wrong stories, in fact it could even be called a cautionary tale. It’s more of a musing on how a little change can go a long way, but it also depends on the man behind the change.

Plus, it’s an easy read. Only took me a couple hours to finish the whole book, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading at some points.

WHAT NEEDED WORK:

Mostly technical stuff. Some of the writing was a little weaker than it could have been, but that’s the editor in me speaking. Plus, there was a bit of head-hopping, where you see too many people’s thoughts in a single scene or even paragraph.

Other than that, the epilogue seemed unnecessary. It doesn’t add anything and it’s only about a page long. In fact, the ending itself is a bit of a head-scratcher. Left to itself, it could be seen as a cautionary tale, but the epilogue almost negates that in a bad way.

Still, that’s about it. Nothing really repelled me from this book.

FINAL VERDICT: 8/10–Very Good; worth buying.

The simplicity and the fun premise won me over from page one. Cameron’s journey is a fun one to follow and it’s a great musing on how some changes are far more than skin-deep.

While there are a few technical problems with the writing, there are also some awesome details and clever descriptions.

CONTENT RATING: PG-13
Sexuality: 5/10–A lot of sexy females pop up in Cam’s life after he gets famous, and he sleeps with many of them, but it’s all implied. No on-screen sex, just frequent wandering eyes.
Violence: 1/10–A sword fight at the end, but it’s more rad than violent.
Language: 3/10–A few words, nothing major.
Substances: 5/10–Beer throughout, some drugs slipped in drinks at wild parties.
Mature Themes: 0/10–None.

NOW GO READ!
Indelible is only available in e-book format, but you can find it and Mark Carver’s other books on his website: markcarverbooks.com.
Indelible is $3.99 on Amazon Kindle.
It’s FREE on the Barnes & Noble Nook.

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