So you’ll think this is odd, but this morning I was watching The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, (oddly enough it seems to be Ryan Reynolds day because now Blade Trinity is on) there is this scene where Reynolds is questioning Bullocks character about her tattoo. It got me thinking.
I have a few favorite characters that have tattoos. I’m specifically thinking of Mercedes Thompson, she is the one that immediately comes to mind but there are others. Ink plays a large role in the Paranormal Romance genre as well as Urban fantasy and Sci-Fi.
I remember the first cover that really caught my attention was author Marjorie Liu’s second Iron hunt came to mind. It was the first time I’d ever heard the of the concept of living tattoos.
I found myself fascinated by Max Shannon’s tattoo in Nalini Singh’s Bonds of Justice.
Then I found myself looking around the internet for other famous tattoos in fiction. Some I’d forgotten some I’d remembered. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/sep/26/prison-books-ten-best
Goodreads had a pretty good list in Romantic Fiction:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/18161.Tattooed_Pierced_Main_Characters_in_Romance
What about you, do have any favorite characters that have been inked?
Smart Girls love SciFi 
Deborah Cooke’s Dragon Fire series has some great ink. And the hero from D.L. Jackson’s Courtesan Boot Camp has a tattoo that moves. 🙂
The moving tattoo sounds cool, but I think it could also really weird me out. LOL
Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld series has tattoos on characters. I think in one instance it’s part of a magical ritual.
Olivia in AND FALLING, FLY gets “damned” inked on her abdomen every birthday, only to watch it disappear as soon as it’s finished.
Ouch!
I like the idea in the Scott Westerfield series The Uglies where those who become The Specials have these tattoos that light up with their bio signals. They pulsate along with their heart beat. Pretty cool.
Ooohh!
The Goodreads list is long, but I *think* Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel books are missing – very interesting use of tattoos in that world. Also my Covenant of Thorns books have fae with magical markings that are tattoo-like. 😀
I hope getting magical markings is less painful than a tattoo! 🙂 It sounds really interesting.
Mercedes Thompson is definitely a personal fave. Briar Moss in Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic series has his hands covered in tattoos of living vines. Slipping outside of fiction, the Dragon Clan tattoos in the L5R tabletop are almost too fun to play with.
Yay for tabletop!
Wen Spencer’s Elfhome trilogy has tengu whose wings are magic tattoos that become solid holograms when activated. Definitely a level of awesome there. Same series has elfin warriors with spell shields tattooed onto their arms.
I love the ELFHOME trilogy. She’s a neat writer with very unique characters.
In Jocelynn Drake’s new series the main character is a tattoo artist. The first book is Angel’s Ink.