Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo

Enter an extraordinary magical adventure about family, fate, and finding the courage to be yourself. A remarkable debut!

"One of my favorite middle grade books from recent years." --Jordan Lees, author of The Whisperwicks

"An adventure overflowing with magic, brought to life with wit and charm." --Beth Lincoln, author of The Swifts

On her tenth birthday, Meticulous Jones--known to her friends as Metty--receives her fate, as all children do, in the form of a magical tattoo on her hand. She hopes that her ink will reveal something exciting: a tattoo that will symbolize travel, or discovery, or adventure. What appears is a skull, balanced in the palm of a violet glove.

Metty's fate is to become a murderer.

Metty is swiftly hidden away by her father, Moral Jones, in a remote Welsh farmhouse, with only a miserable housekeeper (who's terrified she'll become Metty's first victim) for company. But when Moral goes missing, his sister, Aunt Magnificent, arrives to sweep Metty off on a magical adventure to the glittering city of New London. Metty is mesmerized by the magic and enchantment she discovers there. But when she starts to hear rumors of a mysterious and dangerous secret organization known as the Black Moths, she wonders if they might be connected to her father's disappearance--and to her own fate. . . .

• Fizzing with atmosphere, danger, magic, and mystery, this fantasy will keep kids hooked from the start.
• A bold heroine and a darkly comic voice make this debut perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The Swifts.
• Inkbound's world of magical ink and fate tattoos is utterly unique, yet the writing feels classic.