The Black Inked Pearl: A Journey of the Soul by Ruth Finnegan takes you on a dream-like adventure, wrapped with a bittersweet, spiritual romance story. The plot of the novel revolves around Kate, who had rejected her lover out of whim, but later undertakes an arduous journey to find him. Her passionate love takes her to unknown lands within and beyond the boundaries of the world. She journeys through heaven and hell to seek her lost lover and encounters some strange characters that assist her in the quest.

In one section of the novel, the author implies a parallel between Kate’s journey and that of Eve’s, rendering a universal appeal to her pursuit. In the end, Kate’s journey gets a greater meaning, as she discovers the pearl of wisdom, metaphorically implying the discovery of her true self.

The storyline is nonlinear but still engaging. There are multiple literary allusions and digressions that aptly blend into the fervor of the romance. The author compels us to dive into a dream-like trance, where we lose track of time, location, and reality.

The author’s use of dream and nightmare as literary tropes leads to a wide variety of settings. Sometimes you are at the wild Atlantic shore, sometimes you are at the dungeon of hell, and then you are standing at the gate of heaven. The settings become picturesque with poetic descriptions and vivid imagery.

The nuances of language make this work stand out from any other contemporary novels you might have read. Written in the vein of Milton or Shakespeare’s poetic art, this novel fuses verse and narrative. The heavy allusions seem to take up larger space in the novel, which I think could have been a smaller portion.

The Black Inked Pearl: A Journey of the Soul would be an enjoyable read for readers who enjoys classic literature, fairytales and mythologies. The story challenges you to break out of the norm of pedestrian fantasy stories and dive deep into the colorful world author Ruth Finnegan has created. I think a grasp of Shakespeare’s sonnets will help readers comprehend the meaning that the author is aiming to convey, but the adventure awaits anyone willing to follow.

The beautiful flow of language, the well-wrought story, the intriguing literary references, and the magical setting leave behind a deep impact in the readers’ mind.

Pages: 286 | ASIN: B0158VRF26