"In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection—a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power."

I personally could not have summarized this better. This is a slow burn speculative fiction that lays the story of Joanna, Esther and Nicholas. It took me a little to get my bearings on the unique magic system and family history but, I can't help but applaud Törzs' creativity with how she reveals little clues and moves the narrative seamlessly towards some of the larger reveals.

The most prevalent theme in this book moved a more emotional side of the novel as each character touches on their history and family and the losses associated with magic. Each one has paid a toll and watching that realization come to light was like watching a fire catch and consume. So well done.

If you love novels like Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, you'll want to grab this beauty and immerse yourself in Törzs' vividly crafted novel of mystery, magic and a little romance. True rating 3.5/5.

I enjoyed this book but I feel like it took me a little bit to get into. I enjoyed the story but felt like the writing style just wasn’t my favorite

I’ve found it difficult to categorize this book! A contemporary fantasy with a hefty dose of mystery and some suspense. Magical books tucked away in private libraries that are protected ruthlessly from unscrupulous individuals… Kinda. Also, these books require blood to activate and read and some don’t just stop with a little blood.

Törzs juggles three POVs: Esther, Joanna, and Nicholas. Each POV distinct and enjoyable, though I think Nicholas was my fav to follow around. Don’t jump into this read thinking it will be constant magic and tension. Truly, Ink Blood, Sister Scribe has a slow build up with a fantastical pay off! That slow start definitely has its draw back though.

I picked it up almost a year ago only to set it down and kind of forgot about it. When I finally picked it up again when I saw the audiobook was available and that helped me! Once the foundation was laid, everything picked up around 40% and by 60% I couldn’t put it down!

Overall? This is a great debut filled with magic, family, found family, and mystery. I would absolutely revisit this world if given the chance. After all, we all know the power of books. It was a delight to have them contain magical powers!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Maarleveld is such a great narrator and this was no exception. Magical libraries are always fun, no matter how dangerous the books are. The world building was a lot to follow at first but as the story picked up in the middle, I didn't want to stop listening. Magical libraries are just...magical. Sure, some of their books might have the ability to kill, but that won't stop us from settling into an armchair with volume after volume. This story of family secrets and secret organizations vying for power completely captivated us for hours at a time. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld once again delivers a stellar audio performance, navigating various ages and accents for this eclectic group of characters.

This book was perfectly enjoyable, albeit quite long-winded for the first 150 or so pages.
It was fine, but definitely not one of my favourite books of the year.

This books makes me wish I was better with my words, by far. It was a genuinely interesting story, that felt original but also used fairytale themes that made it feel familiar to me in a way that I truly enjoyed.

This book was surprising. I loved it. The author created just the right atmosphere and the pacing was perfection. This is a must read fantasy.

3 stars for me, didn't love but didn't hate it. Another one that was so slow for me at first, I was worried I would never get fully into it. I will say, the first couple times I picked it up, was just wrong timing for me. I needed to focus a little more for this one to make sense with me, and the first few times I picked it up I was just not in the right headspace for it. Eventually, I got through it and had a fine time, but I feel like based on other reviews, something just wasn't clicking for me.

I saw “magical books” and immediately jumped for this book. I’m totally down to read anything about ancient libraries passed down in families with magic books and complicated family history and lore. The family dynamics were well developed and shown and the book itself was amazing. Totally in love with it and can’t recommend it enough.

I was captivated by this book from the start! The characters, setting, and premise all work together to take the reader on a unique journey, I am glad I read this one even though it doesn't fall in my typical genre of books to pick up. It offers so much heart, hope, and suspense and will stick with me for a long time!

I've tried to read this at least 3 times. Each time I get to the same percentage but end up putting it down. As a librarian, I think I might just be a little tired of magic libraries. I really enjoyed the writing and I'll definitely read from her again. It had a really nice cozy vibe (the first 20ish percent anyway) despite it not really being a cozy fantasy.

I can’t wait to read more from Emma Törzs! As a librarian, I already believe that all books are magical. In Ink Blood Sister Scribe, books in the Library hold magical powers, written by scribes in blood. Fantasy, mystery, thriller and dark academia are all magically combined. Exploring family, power and the implications of secrets, it’s a spellbinding story about forgiveness, sisters and magical books. Ink Blood Sister Scribe took me to a world where magic is real and books truly do hold power, and I wasn’t ready for it to end.

This is a multiple POV story about the toll magic and it's secrets take on a family as it tries to keep the next generation safe.

The magic as presented here has a lot of rules, which has all been very well planned and thought out by the author. I really enjoyed the world-building and that the protagonists were older than the typical YA/NA range.

I have picked up and put down this book about half a dozen times. It sounds like it would be exactly the book for me, but something about it just doesn't work for me. Which is a shame, because I've heard some truly excellent things about it. I love books about books. And when magic is involved somehow, I'm all in. Usually. For some reason, this book is the exception to that rule. Maybe I'll pick it up again some day, but this is not the book for me at this moment in time.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe follows two estranged half-sisters who work together to guard their family's library of enchanted books. Joanna has the ability to sense magic in books and tends to her late father's library while Esther is immune to magic but heeds her father's warning and moves around every year to avoid being hunted down and killed like her mother. Across the world, a sheltered young scribe writes enchanted books at his uncle's bidding. Eventually, these threads intertwine to reveal family secrets, betrayal, and danger. A captivating story of mystery, suspense, romance, and magic that you won't be able to put down.

THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME AND MADE ME LOSE FEELING IN MY HANDS WITH HOW ANXIOUS IT MADE ME FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS BEST 2023 RELEASE BY A THOUSAND MILES

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I really loved the characters and I thought the story was so original. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

A woman who finds her dad dead with a spell book in his hand. Her sister who decides to stay another year in Antarctica, instead of running like she’s been told to do her whole life, and a boy whose magic is coveted by the world.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is an adult fantasy following all three of these characters, with spells, blood, hidden libraries, secret magic and so much more within these pages. The plot is a unique, albeit predictable at times, and the characters had depth to them and I was eager to see them develop throughout the story.

This book for sure has a slow start, I didn’t get fully invested into this book until about the sixth chapter, but after that I flew through this one. A bit of a mystery element to this I thought the revealed were done exceptionally well and this book with its slow burn plot definitely wrapped things up great for a standalone.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a light fantasy, with a bit of mystery and of course anyone who loves hidden libraries.

I LOVED this book. It was interesting right from the beginning. I didn't understand the connection between the viewpoint characters right away, but once it was revealed I was invested. Nicholas is so funny and clever despite his situation. I can feel Joanna's paranoia in the pages. And Esther was the star of the book. She's trying so hard to protect her family and the people she cares about, even without knowing why. When she met Nicholas and learned she's a Scribe, it was like puzzle pieces clicking together. Everything started to make sense and the plot unraveled with such intricate detail. Incredible world building, and the magic system was so well thought out.

I wanted to love this. I really did, but I don't think I read it at the right time for me. Hopefully the next time I pick up IBSC I will love it as much as others.