Have you noticed a prevailent trend in Urban Fantasy? No, I don't mean vampires and gun-totting fey; I'm talkin' about tattoos.

Pick up an Urban Fantasy novel and look over the cover, check out the characters and see the artistry rolling across their flesh. It's not hard to understand the relevence of tattoos in Urban Fantasy. Early cultures believed they held mystical power. They wore them as talismans, to ward off evil or bring on good luck. Some cultures used them as rites of passage. Still others saw them as status symbols. The tattoo holds serious mystical power.

Browsing over some recent titles I found the tattoos of many shapes and beauty. Gena Showalter's Darkest Night or Melissa Marr's Ink Exchange are prime examples of how stunning and alluring the tattoo is - and how much it fits into the genre.

Cruise the racks of the local bookstore and see how many covers show off folks emblazoned with glamourous tattoos. You'll feel the magic leaking from the pages.