As readers we all think libraries and books are magical. But what if the books really were imbued with magic? Spells in fact. What if, instead of books being consumed by readers, the readers were literally consumed by the books.
Puts a different slant on things, doesn’t it?
I loved the magic and spells and that books had personalities and quaked with spirit.
This novel touched upon all kinds of magical properties and was fun to read.
I also didn’t get my life’s blood sucked out of either.

I did very little research on this book so based on the cover/title I assumed it would be more "classic" fantasy with a bit of a YA spin but I was very wrong...but....VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT THIS GEM OF A BOOK AND LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT. The book is creepy, atmospheric, a little gory, but very much speculative fiction thriller.

I rarely give 5-star reviews, and all my 5-starred books have to meet at least two of the following criteria:
1. Bingeability (aka...I read it in 1 or 2 sittings)
2. Beautiful prose
3. Made me cry or feel something very very deeply
4. Was VERY unique
5. Made a lasting impression on me far after the book ended

INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE met the following:
1. ✅ Bingeability: I read it in two or three sittings, I really could not put it down. This read a lot more like a speculative fiction thriller than a fantasy, and I love a good page turner. I very quickly became invested in the characters (who btw, are all living in very very unique settings...think Antarctic base, small town Vermont, sprawling ducal English manor) and loved unraveling the mystery of what happened to the Kalotays and their relationship to the "institution"
2. ✅ Beautiful prose: I was really pleasantly surprised by this one because on first glance based on the title and cover it seemed like this would be a more YA fantasy (I blame myself I didn’t do a lot of research tbh) and found the metaphors creepy and wonderful
3. ❌ Made me cry: no unfortunately not
4. ✅ Unique in a specific way: THIS ONE KILLED IT!!!! The magic system was about magic spell books and Scribes, who can write these magic books by draining their own blood and mixing it with herbs. The magic is invoked by reading the spell book, and the ink fades with each read. It was also a CREEEPY haunting fantasy, set mostly in small-town Vermont and with gory creepy details. I have never read a book like this, and absolutely adored it.
5. ✅Lasting impression: half half bc the creepy bloody magic books was so unique

Overall...everyone should pick this up!!!!! I will be aggressively proselytizing this book on TikTok henceforth

this is going to be a next big fantasy read. the story and the characters and plot are so immersive that i was left still pondering it soon after i finished. thank you for the copy!

Wow! This was an awesome debut novel by Emma Torz. It easily is one of the most enjoyable fantasies I've read in a long time.

We follow Esther in a reasearch lab in Antarctica and her sister Jo in Vermont as they get entangled into the world of Nicholas. The scribe with magical blood.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs was PHENOMENAL. I don’t know how to adequately describe my love for this book, but I HIGHLY recommend it. Go read it now if you haven’t yet! One of my favorite reads of the year so far.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a tightly woven story of family, loyalty, and power. This book is a unique love letter to books that reminds me a lot of The Starless Sea. What I enjoyed the most was how everything connected together. None of the reveals were particularly shocking, but it is incredibly satisfying when an author effectively uses every single element of the story. There are no loose threads in this one.

There are three POVs in Ink Blood Sister Scribe: sisters Joanna and Esther and, finally, Nicholas. Each character starts this book relatively isolated, from each other and from the rest of the world. This isolation affects their lives in different ways and it was incredibly interesting to see each of them grow beyond what was familiar to them. I was not expecting Nicholas’ POV, however, he quickly became my favorite character. His unique relationship to the magical books is what really hooked me. With the inclusion of his POV, slightly later in the book than the others, the reader's understanding of the magic system is flipped upside down. I struggled to connect with Joanna’s POV the most as I found her chapters a bit dull compared to the others. Though the limitations of her character reflect the restrictions she has imposed on her own life, I would have liked to see her get the same level of character development that Esther and Nicholas had (and not just a romance).

I loved the book based magic system and I really appreciate how the author explored the topics of conservation, power, and control through the library and the books. I always appreciate when a magic system has very strict and clear rules. Each character in this book had their own advantages and limitations within the magic system. This helped build the “found (or reunited?) family” vibes.

This book had been described as a magical realism thriller. Though I wouldn't say that it was ever shocking or suspenseful, the fast pace made it a quick and engaging read.

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.

This book was AMAZING. I admit we had a bit of a slow start but then it just took you along for a ride. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters. They were fleshed out enough to empathize with each one along the way. The magic and adventure in the book was so much fun, I found it hard to put down. In fact, I was hoping for a sequel. This is a must read for fans of fantasy and a little dark mystery.

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for allowing me to read this book and give my opinion.

DNF. I think this book could be very good for some people, but by 10% I just do not care enough to continue this arc.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This was a 5/5 for me. Torz did an exceptional job not falling into the cliches of fantasy writing and kept this novel fresh and innovative in its world-building. The novel hit a sweet spot of a fast enough paced and intriguing plot while still giving the characters all the time they needed to be well-developed. I found the pace quick enough to always have me wanting more, but not rushed at all. I also very much enjoyed the slow burn/light romance aspect of the book. This is one of the best fantasy novels I have read this year, and hope there will be more to come!

The premise truly sounds interesting but I was not clicking with the characters at all. It was a bit confusing - I was quite a way through and I still didn't understand why one sister had to move every year and why one stayed at the house and the whole drama with the step(?) mom. I think if we actually got more information from the get-go, I would have enjoyed more and it would have had more moments to flesh out the characters - it's like we got dropped in the middle of the story instead of establishing it from the beginning and there wasn't a moment where the narrative goes back slightly to further establish the story.

Talk about a debut! This one was special!

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a magical, yet gruesome tale of a family who has special gifts and keeps magical books hidden from the world. The story follows half-sisters Esther and Joanna—their family has been keepers of magical books for as long as they can remember. Across the globe in London, Nicholas is the author of many a magical book, but that unique skill could put him at risk. How are they all connected? It’s hard to summarize this one, because it is so unique! I have never read a story like this before, so I really enjoyed that experience.

This story was interesting and so complex. As the characters crossed paths, it became clear that there was more to the magical books than I originally thought. The world building was fabulous, and how the book magic worked was really interesting. This book gave me “The Librarian” vibes. I throughly enjoyed diving into this magical world! I couldn’t put it down! I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys books about books, magical things and events, and family—even chosen family.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, the author, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read!

This was my introduction to "witchy" books and I am obsessed!

Ester, Nichalos, Joanna, Collins, Madam!!!! I love them all.
This book has everything; friendship, family, family trauma, found family, tiny bit of romance, action, suspense, magic! I mean seriously what more could you possible ask for.

If you are even a little interested in starting your "magic book" journey, I 100% recommend you read this book. You will be hooked on this book from beginning to end!

I see this novel compared to novels by Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black as well as those who enjoyed Practical Magic, The Magicians or Ninth House. I believe fans of Discovery of Witches would also enjoy reading this story. We do not know why Esther and Joanne are separated from one another, only that the two sisters grew up in their family home where their father and his wife (mother to Joanne) also guarded ancient texts full of magic. Now Jo is the protector of the books while Esther travels the world, mysteriously following her father's warning to leave her current location by a certain date each year.

There are so many mysteries and unknowns to unravel along with the characters within this novel. Told from multiple points of view, the reader can put the pieces together as the story is unraveled. I truly enjoyed this novel, and I am going to easily round up to 5 stars since I think it would make a superb fantasy series if continued, and I am hoping that one of the many streaming services I subscribe to looks at it as a possible series as well. Excellent world building in terms of the magic, superb character development, adventure, action, suspense, along with a dash of romance. Choose this contemporary fantasy as your next read.

INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE is a unique blend of the supernatural, intrigue, and personal discovery in one positively spellbinding tale. Törzs sets the stage with a richly developed world of magic within the books.

From the first part of the book, the reader is introduced to four people who will become the core of this narrative. As each of their paths reveals itself, the looming sense of danger becomes more and more present. However, it isn’t until Esther, Joanna, Nicholas, and Collins come to work together that the story truly becomes compelling. They must deal with duplicity, secrets, blood magic, and all the emotions coming to the surface after years of unknown realities.

In this debut, Törzs brought her readers down a spiral where mystery and magic meet. The writing was eloquent and perfectly paced exposing a heart and realness within these pages grounded by the more fantastical elements. Those we meet are diverse and wonderfully complicated adding another layer to an already rich story. All in all, an amazing read.

Here’s something I don’t find myself saying very often: I wish this Fantasy novel was LONGER.

Such is the magic of Ink Blood Sister Scribe (horrible title, great book), which combines all the best elements of the genre in a unique and intriguing way.

I really appreciated the originality of this, which really stands out in a genre full of copycats and reimaginings. The magical system is both unique and well-rendered, and I loved that the world building made this book both dreamy and immersive but also tied to the real world experience.

The characters are also unusually intriguing and well drawn, in addition to just being a likable bunch you want to root for. And canine sidekick Sir Kiwi didn’t hurt the likability factor either.

I think I’m happy this was a stand-alone, despite being sad when it was over and wishing the book had been longer. It’s a relatively light read for this style of Fantasy, intense and full of feeling without being too overwrought and tragic.

In all, a delightful adventure well worth a read.

This is seriously such a surprising story. It starts off a little slow, but once you get into it, introduce yourself to all the characters, and read more about the magical world that exists here, then you're hooked.

I think the most interesting part of this entire book was the magical world. It's a little gorey for those who aren't fans of blood magic, but I was obsessed with the idea of magical spells existing in the world, that anyone can read them and use the magic for whatever they need, and the idea that there are scribes that use their own blood to write these stories. It's not witchy, which I'm glad about but it has that witch-like feel with natural elements playing a big part in it.

It was like reading a high fantasy story without all the high fantasy. It has your power-hungry villain, the characters who are swept up in all of this against their will, the characters who are just learning about everything that's happening, and a chosen one destiny that I could not deny. Honestly, I would say this is a great fantasy book for anyone who wanted to read high fantasy but felt it to be a bit intimidating.

I absolutely loved the family dynamics of this story. It's both found family and blood-related family and they both play into this story super well. I absolutely loved Esther and Joanna. They were the kind of sisters that reminded me a lot of my own; who have been apart for many years, but somehow still keep the bond from childhood. The found family elements with Nicholas were wild and like any family story, there's huge twists and turns along the way that really kept my jaw on the ground.

The pacing was lovely too. There was a good amount of diving into the characters, but it is also moved the plot and kept you interested. With each big reveal or piece of plot that is revealed, you invest deeper and deeper in the story and the way the characters are written make you want to look out for them more and more.

Overall, I found myself enjoying this one way more than I imagined and glad for it. I'm surprised it was picked up for the GMA Book Club since it doesn't seem like something they would typically pick, but it is definitely worth a read regardless of the fancy book sticker.

Joanna and Esther are half sisters charged with protecting their family’s magic library. Joanna can read the spell books and make the magic happen, Esther cannot make magic happen and is unaffected by magic so she questions her value and role. She has been away from home for years, and must run for 24 hours each November to avoid capture and an untimely fate. While running, she meets Nicholas, who is also involved in the world of magic books in an extremely dangerous role. The three come together to try solve the mysteries of the dark magic they are encountering, the long-held family secrets that challenge them and their own potential futures in their roles with magic books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved the characters, the writing, the twists and turns, the danger, the mysteries, the magic and the relationships that evolved over the course of the story. What an excellent debut novel! I didn’t want it to end. It truly brings out the magic of books and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book.

I devoured this. INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE deserves all its hype, and not just because I'm a sucker for stories about sisters who are fiercely protective of each other. The story was engaging and suspenseful, and the writing was flawless.

It's a contemporary fantasy series about witches set in multiple locales (including Alaska!). The story follows two half-sisters who are the children of a father with a magical book collection. At the beginning of the story, he is killed by one of the books. One woman is immune to magic and on the run, forced to move every year; the other is basically trapped in their family home, maintaining the wards around their house to protect the precious books - even from her own mother. Then there's a sheltered, wealthy young man who is the last known scribe, with the ability to write magic books with his blood.

The plot was skillfully constructed, with the kind of excellent writing that dissolves into the story. The characterization is superb, and Törzs manages to maintain suspense and action while building an intricate world.

I really enjoyed it and highly recommend!

As a big reader, often times I’m not surprised by the direction a story takes. This novel, however, had twists and turns I literally could not have even dreamed about. Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a new and exciting twist on the age old tale of magic. We all know books hold power, but this novel makes that power come to life. Torzs is definitely an another to watch and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a brilliant tour de force by Emma Törzs, with an impeccably built world, a cast of loveable characters, and a tension that yanks the reader by the teeth through and forward through a fast-paced and delicious plot. The only thing better than the way this book ends. I am so thankful to Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.