This is one of my best reads of the year.

I adored this book: it’s a slow burn about magic, books and the lengths we’ll go for family. This is the perfect book for fans of Erin Morgenstern, V. E. Schwab and Marisha Pessl. It’s a slow and dreamy book that builds to an adventurous climax. This is a book that I savoured and slowly nibbled at crumbs. As much as I wanted to gulp it down I really enjoyed reading it slowly and picking up all the breadcrumbs in the book as I was absorbed into this magical world.

The book flips between three points of view: Joanna, her sister Esther and the mysterious NIcholas. We soar between Vermont, Mexico, Antarctica and England. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the multiple POVs but it really works in this book. All three helped build different elements of the story, and kept the reader on their toes figuring out who knew what and how magic was happening. This is a blood magic system based on the blood of scribes (which are very rare for REASONS readers will discover) who write in books. There’s people who act as guardians of the books, and they can be found throughout the world.

Joanna and Esther don’t know everything about their magic, they just know what their father has told them. He died and they are still living their lives according to what he told them. They both are miserable and trapped in their own cages. Nicholas is also trapped in a cage - this one a magnificent lap of luxury that his uncle has created to keep him safe. He’s the only known living scribe, and his uncle wants to keep him healthy so he can keep creating spells for wealthy people around the world. Eventually the three POV’s combine into one in the second half of the book, and there’s a strong action element that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen, and who you can trust.

This is also a story about isolation, whether chosen or forced, and the need for humans to connect with each other. Each character has their reasons for isolation, whether it’s to protect magic, or their family, but throughout the book each learns how much stronger they are together with others.

This is an absolute love letter to books, and the importance for us to write our own futures.

Thank you, William Morrow ,for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book! The premise is intriguing and I always love a book about books haha. The writing is good, descriptive, easy to follow and created a nice atmosphere but I wasn't blown away like I have been with other magical realism books. It also took a little while to immerse myself in this one - the pacing at the beginning is quite slow and I found my mind wandering. I eventually switched between the ebook and audiobook and that helped some. The pace picks up in the second half; there's more action and the plot was more engaging. I really liked the magic system introduced in this book, the ''vampire'' books are especially intriguing to me but at the same time, I don't feel like we get a ton of detail about the world or the magic in it. The characters were interesting, though again there isn't much development going on. Nicholas was my fave, which makes me chuckle because he isn't even mentioned in the synopsis and he is one of the 3 POVs throughout the book. There are some twists in this one though I didn't find them particularly surprising but I did like how small details clicked into place for the ending!

Content warnings: blood, death/death of a parent, kidnapping, injury/injury detail.

A big thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe was fun with a great twist on the typically magical system - wonderful characters and complicated topics handled with ease. There's so much adventure and it's a book about books - so what is not to love?

In this dark fantasy debut, secrets can suck the life out of you. In the opening sequence, that is exactly what happens to Joanna's beloved father, Abe. Thus, Joanna is held down by the responsibilities left to her by Abe. Tasked with keeping the family library of magical books protected by spells that hide them and herself from the world, she has little contact with anyone but her mother, Cecily, who no longer lives in the family home. Cecily frustrates Joanna with what she sees as Cecily's betrayal of responsibility to family and its magic books. Joanna does receive postcards from her sister Esther, who bolted from the house, the library, the family, and dear Joanna upon Esther's eighteenth birthday. Joanna feels trapped and abandoned in her life, while Esther feels trapped in a life of constant uprootedness. Esther does not have the same gift of sensing magic as Abe and Joanna, so Abe had insisted she must move every year to a new place or she will expose the family, their home and books to prying eyes with murderous intent. But when Esther finds love and attempts to break the rules by staying beyond the deadline, both sisters' worlds begin to change. This is a book about books -- magical books, written with the blood and bodies of Scribes. But it's also about power and betrayal and loyalty to family. I was immediately drawn in by the suspense, the straightforward magical system, and the characters' plights. This debut novel is for those who love books about books, library settings, magical adventure, the power of truth and connection, and lyrical prose that binds it together.

[Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I am typically not a fantasy reader, but this year there have been some truly outstanding fantasy releases. I really enjoyed this—it is feminist, well written and propulsive. The characters felt real, and relatable, and I think this would be a GREAT choice for non fantasy readers looking for a break from their typical genres. I really enjoyed it, and will recommend.

“And power is always a reflection of the world that has created it, regardless of intention.”

This was a cozy and evocative read. I found myself falling into the pages, compelled the magic system that I’ll admit, was a bit confusing for quite a bit, but nonetheless kept my curiosity going. I loved the concept of magical book writers and readers, of book being spelled by blood and intention. It’s not wholly new but it is different from most magic systems I’ve read recently, so this felt really fresh.

“All these stories, what did they add up to? A life?”

There’s a sharp sense of melancholy, loss, and sadness that permeates the story and its characters. Through the rotating POVs we see how each character is trapped in their own prison, not of their making, but one in which they’ve been made to believe is truly home. The notion of wanting to break free but feeling beholden to family secrets and strong pulling was intriguing and made me invested in seeing how each character would break free.

There are prisons fed on a steady diet of guilt, fear, ignorance, and secrecy that gradually brings each POV character closer and closer together, their stories weaving together in a slow and unfurling manner.

“Her motherlessness was intrinsic to her sense of self, and her sense of self was all she’d had these many years alone.”

The theme of motherhood is an undercurrent throughout which impacts each character differently. What I loved is that there are multiple facets of motherhood provided, with no one character representing a perfectly ‘good’ or honest mother.

All of them have made deals and held secrets born out of seemingly pure intentions or pursuits and yet they have all cause rot and grief in the lives of their loved ones. Seeing how love of family can turn into shackles and a choker, stifling roots from taking place was fascinating to see and made for a thought provoking read.

“Cold was easier to bear when you’d never been warm.”

I know that the slow pace might bit work for some but I found myself enjoying it. Knowing this is a stand-alone made me want to appreciate each page as we got to know each character and their motivations.

That said, I did feel that some of the POVs were unbalanced and not quite fleshed out as they should have been, especially the relationships between the sisters. The side romance plot was unnecessary and didn’t quite make sense, it felt more like the author felt this had to have SOME romance because it’s become prescriptive and part of the formula in fantasy of late, rather than because it added anything to the characters’ arc on its own.

Overall, I thought this was sharp and compelling, somber but exciting, and definitely a perfect cozy fall read.

This book was so enchanting and unique for me. It was just so different than what I typically read and I really enjoyed it. Alright folks, get ready because this review is about to be chaotic because that’s just who I am. Disclaimer: I am no expert in books or a professional reviewer so bear with me. This is all based on how I felt reading the book.

Now to my thoughts:

I think I am in my magic and enchantments era. I am here for all the cozy cottage core vibes mixed with contemporary vibes + dark academia. The book is about magical mirrors, curses/enchantments, family conflict, loyalty, power, and best of all it is a book about books.The writing was so beautiful and impactful.The best part of it is that I never felt lost throughout the story. This is a big thing for me when it comes to fantasy! In all honesty, I struggled a bit at the beginning because I am the kind of reader that needs some action, but the author was able to captivate my attention little by little throughout the story and towards the end I was devouring the book. I also really enjoyed watching the characters evolve. Overall, the book was very enjoyable and had me wanting to learn more about the characters. What a lovely debut.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my eGalley!

Slow build for me but worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would certainly read books by this author in the future. What unique library magic!

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a magical YA novel shifting between three perspectives.
The Kalotay family guards a collection of rare and magical books. These spells are written in blood and can only be written by one in a generation. Half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere these books with their lives. But the sisters have been separated for years. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica after her father warns her that she could suffer the same death as her mother, and Joanna's isolated herself with her father in their family home in Vermont. After her father’s sudden death after reading a dangerous book, the sisters must come together to protect not just their magical books but their own lives.
It took me several chapters to get into the book, but once I did, I was hooked. Emma Torzs’s s mythology of magic is intriguing and inherently dangerous. This adds an almost horror layer to this thriller. A third perspective not mentioned in the summary is a surprise but adds even more depth and richness to the tale. As the sisters interact with this character, the true mystery of the sister’s origins comes to light and their lives are all in jeopardy. This gives more buy-in than just the future of the magical books. Twists and turns make you doubt what you know about the characters. Who is on the sisters’ side?
There are squeamish elements in the book. Those that are sensitive to eyeballs or human/animal malformations and maiming should consider skipping this book. Of course, anyone who has issues with blood will have a hard time with this book as blood is a key component to the magic.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe is an instant classic in the Young Adult Fantasy genre, and I encourage readers of all ages to turn its pages.

This book beautifully brings together so many different genres in a magical way. The character development of Joanna, Esther, and Nicholas is done so well. 5 out of 5.

I can say this was nothing like I expected it to be. Two sisters trying to save their family library of magical books - while also trying to protect their family members and following different orders from their deceased father? THEN they find out more of these books exist in the hands of an elite family using blood money & power to gain more control over the books? The intrigue is high. The characterization let a bit to be desired but overall, the plot and magic system make it easy to overlook. I also believe this is a debut title from Emma Törzs so that is all the more impressive. This is certainly a book I would recommend going into a bit blind - skim the synopsis then drop in!

This would be perfect for fans of The Starless Sea (the magical atmosphere not the writing), The Invisible Library Series, and maybe even A Sorcery of Thorns.

Overall: I enjoyed this.

Who doesn't like a book about books? Especially a killer book.

This book does suffer a bit from pacing, although the pacing may feel off due to the narrative voice (which is just a little bit boring). The world that Torzs brings us to is completely worth trudging through.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is one of those books that are about books, only it's much different than other books that I felt had similar themes. In this world, blood and books are tied very closely together and can even create magic if certain instructions are followed.

I found the book interesting yet also confusing. The magic and how it worked was described in a way that made it easy enough to follow and yet it didn't really feel as though it was described well enough. I also felt that the characters were rounded enough but not quite so much that I could tell them apart.

Overall the book was a decent read and interesting enough, it just rubbed me kind of the wrong way and wasn't the best reading experience I've ever had.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe was a very engaging, entertaining novel. I received strong autumn magical realism vibes, the perfect book for October, but really can be enjoyed year-round. I liked the story development and am eagerly awaiting the second book. I want to know what happens!

This is a great twist on how magic works, with likeable characters, multiple libraries, challenging family dynamics, and lots of adventure. I was not ready for it to end and am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel!

This story is so fascinating and the world drawn so richly that I felt like I became a part of it. I listened to the audiobook and Saskia Maarleveld had me enthralled with her narration of the book. The characters are interesting and the magic unique. The writing style is captivating and I need to get my hands on a physical copy for my home library. This is a book I'm going to want to read for myself too.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, William Morrow, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

The Kalotay family has always guarded a precious collection of ancient and rare books, able to let a person walk through a wall, manipulate the elements, books of magic and the half-sister Joanna and Esther were raised to protect and rever them. In time though, events and paid prices have brought them apart. Now Esther lives in a remote base in Antartica, hoping to escape the fate that killed her mother and Joanna has isolated herself in her house in Vermont, studying these volumes. When their father dies after reading a volume they didn't know, they decided to investigate his death and to preserve their family's legacy. By doing that, they soon discover secrets their parents decided to hide from them and a world of magic far bigger that they thought would be, spanning centuries, continents and other libraries.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a magnificent debut written by the amazing Emma Törzs and I'm so fallen in love with this. A book about a library of magic books? Secrets hidden and two half-sisters who have to protect their family's legacy? Other libraries? And magic? This book has everything you could hope to find in a story. It has magic, family bonds, loyalty, love, power, mystery, secrets intrigue, in a beautifully written story, with a rich voice and an atmospheric setting. Esther and Joanna are brilliant voices, intelligent and traumatized, who have to come back together in order to save their own legacy and to investigate what happened to their father and in their library. I love books about books and this book is truly unbelievable.
I loved the setting, the worldbuilding, the books, the voices and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe does not provide a lot of information regarding its plot beyond it being a mystery filled with magic, sisters, and a family mystery surrounding the books that the Kalotay family has guarded for generations. With this in mind, I did not know what I was going to get. I overall enjoyed the book but it is not something I would reread again.

With the name of the book and the emphasis on the sisters, I was expecting their relationship and them interacting to be a big part of the story. However, they did not meet up after being separated for a decade until over halfway through the story. One would also assume the sisters were the only POV characters, but no another person has a significant number of POVs. They make sense for the plotline but it felt it came out of left field.

Another issue I had was the pacing. At times, a high tension event would happen and the next chapter would be someone else's POV about something completely different. While sometimes doing this builds tension, instead it simply cut the tension and made me less enthused to finish reading.

I also felt the ending plot and unravelling of the mystery was convoluted. I love an intricate plot but this felt like they were doing too much for a standalone novel.

The magic system was interesting and I did like the characters. Each had their own personality and felt fully realized. Overall, though, I cannot give this book over a 3.

I had high hopes for this but unfortunately it fell a bit too flat for me. I did end up DNFing around 20% in and found this story very hard to engage with.

Loved this! The writing was amazing and the story sucked you in and made you feel as if you were part of it. Unique storyline with magic books written in blood. Would read this again!