Booklist calls INKBOUND: METICULOUS JONES AND THE SKULL TATTOO by Philippa Leathley “a winning fantasy that blends creativity, action, and substance.”

In a world where magic is strictly controlled, New Capitals are literally popping up. These floating cities allow residents to use magic freely, as long as they can afford the ink that most acts of magic require. Meticulous (“Metty”) Jones is whisked away to New London after her beloved father, Captain Moral Jones, vanishes on her eleventh birthday. Being suddenly in the care of her estranged Aunt Mag and living in the ancestral Jones family home, Metty is flooded with questions about her family’s history and the role she’s to play in its future. The latter has been an obsession for the girl since last year’s “fating,” when she received the magical tattoo that marked her as a future murderer (devastating!). Leathley's imaginative debut reads like a rollicking blend of Harry Potter and Beth Lincoln's The Swifts (2023). Political tensions thrum within New London, adding layers of intrigue to Captain Jones’ disappearance, and Metty personal journey toward taking charge of her own fate anchors the narrative. A winning fantasy that blends creativity, action, and substance.

— Julia Smith