I was utterly enchanted by this unique story of magical books and family. A spectacular debut novel that deserves all of the praise it's getting, I couldn't wait to see how this story came to a close. I picked it up initially because it sounded like it would be a fun read, and because it's a standalone I didn't have to worry about waiting for the next book in the series to come out, and while I was right that it was a fun read I'm actually kind of sad it's a standalone because I wanted more. Not to say that the story isn't complete, because it is, but I was just having so much fun with the world and the characters I'm sad that it had to come to an end so soon and that there isn't going to be more featuring these characters and this world. Although I wouldn't complain if this does get turned into a series, or even just another book in the same world, because I do feel like there is potential for more even though it's not necessary. All of that being said I can't wait to start putting this in the hands of customers at my store. I've already written a shelf-talker and put that up for the days I'm not working, but when I am I have no doubt I will be recommending this one to just about everyone I can. I will eagerly be awaiting whatever Törzs comes out with next, because if it's even half as good as this one it's bound to still be amazing.

4.5⭐️

Half sisters Esther and Joanna were never told much about the books. They knew the books could be used for magic, the magic didn't work on Esther, and the magic could drive people to the brink of paranoia to keep safe. They even knew that their father thought the books were worth dying for. And that's what he did, leaving Joanna to maintain the daily wards. He also made Esther promise to never return home and never stay in one place for greater than a year, or else she'd put herself and sister at risk.

Nicholas is the only known living scribe and has spent his entire life in service to The Library. He's the only one who can write new spells and there are many in the know who would love to kidnap him for their own use. Sickly from the loss of blood needed to make the ink, his only real friend is his dog, Sir Kiwi, his uncle's assistant, Maram, and the body guard The Library pays to ensure his safety, Collins. But after a close call with an attacker, Maram and Collins begin fighting against the NDA spells keeping them in check to explain what Nicholas' uncle is after and why he needs to meet Esther to put a stop to it.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this and was pleasantly surprised. I feel like the magic system was very unique and I like the idea of the secrecy required for the society all revolves around a series of NDA spells so strung that one character can't even admit their own first name. It's also wild to think that most of the conflict between the sisters stems almost entirely on their parents casting a secrecy spell on each other so they could keep the girls safe but could also never explain. There was some instances where the characters decisions are so odd, like the level of dedication Joanna has to her father and just adding someone to the wards because they ask, but most of those can be explained by magic I think.

I feel like this minus the magic, this is also a great look at how family members handle traumatic childhoods differently but can still have the same resentment. Esther is the sibling that cuts ties and never looks back while Joanna is the one who holds on for dear life, even if what's she's holding on to is hurting her. Both of them resent their father and to an extent each other, but they also don't understand what the situation was like for the other sister and what situations lead them to making the choices they did. While protecting the magic, they were able to learn more about each other and put aside their differences, which was nice.

Thanks Netgalley and William Marrow for providing this ARC to me!

Emma Törzs tells of two sisters, the last of the Kalotay family who guard a library of books that can be used to work magic.Joanna guards the collection, keeping the books from her mother who once tried to burn them. Esther has been told to keep moving every November, but you can’t do that while working on a base in Antarctica. Unlike her sister , she can’t work the magic of the books, but she can be attacked through mirrors at the base. What neither Ink Blood Sister Scribe (hard from William Morrow) know is that there is another, very wealthy library in England and the last scribe in the world, Nicholas, constantly has his blood drained to make the magical ink. Unfortunately Nicholas is on the run from a mad uncle. Very intense tale and very enjoyable. This could easily be nominated for some awards if people find it.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs is one of those fantasies that slowly winds together a few different stories & then WHOOSH pulls them tight.

I love that, don’t you? The sign of an author’s master plan coming into big & gorgeous effect.

This story takes as its premise a world where magic can be found (& even created) in books & it’s activated through those books & blood.

Magic has separated sisters Esther & Joanna, but it brings them back together when Esther is threatened. Magic is also part of the secrets surrounding Scribe Nicholas, who sees his carefully constructed world start to peel apart.

Taking the reader from Antarctica to Vermont to the English countryside, Ink Blood Sister Scribe is an adventure that really started captivating me about 1/3 of the way in & that I loved from then on.

There are visceral, violent moments & there’s also love, hope, sisterhood, & the possibility of a new romance.

So, like, a great fantasy.

4.5⭐️. Out now!

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the book in front of a black headboard decorated with flowers & flourishes. Below is a white floral comforter.]

Really fantastic adult fantasy! I felt really connected to all the characters and loved the interwoven storylines of everyone. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and can’t wait to see what she’ll write next!

A big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book on a whim, and boy am I glad I did.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs is an urban fantasy novel that follows the estranged life of the Kalotay family, who have been guardians to a magic library for multiple generations. But the story really focuses on the sisters, Esther and Joanna who have been living on opposite sides of the world to escape their family's legacy and unraveling secrets. But they are forced to come together when their father suddenly dies while reading a book. Esther and Joanna must work together to solve his death, and come to terms with their family's secrets and magic.

I did not know what I getting into with this book, but boy am I glad I picked it up. The characters are amazing. The plot is grand and sweeping enough to keep it interesting. The magic system is unique. And the writing style is just *chef's kiss*! Read this book now!

Rating: 3.5/5

I am slowly being reintroduced to the fantasy genre and thought this was a great read.

There were a few issues with pacing - I thought the beginning was slow and I was waiting to see how the characters merged and what would happen upon their meeting. The later half had better pacing.

I thought the fantasy aspects of this novel were well-done. I was not sure if there would be a sequel, but if so, I would read it.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a not just a story about magical books. It's about fighting for our personal freedoms, for the power to choose our own paths. The characters in this novel are complex and compelling, each with their own demons to unearth and confront. I was hooked from the first page!

I loved this book! Such a cool magic system and the characters were great! It was a little slow to start but once it picked up it was amazing!

Compelling, creepy, magic, action-filled, blood-soaked mystery that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Beginning contains a sapphic love scene to establish the deep connection between 2 of the characters. The twists and turns of the plot are timed perfectly. Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC.

Imagine a world in which books could be a source of magic. World in which some humans could sense that magic and some maybe even create it. Welcome to the magical world of Emma Torzs's debut Ink Blood Sister Scribe. I happily lost myself in the world of this book and reluctantly left it after the last page. Adventure, mystery, secrets, family drama - this story had it all. And I won't be the least bit surprised if I start seeing this book everywhere this summer. It's a kind of story that holds a wide appeal to different types of readers.

The story revolves around two half-sisters, Joanna and Esther, separated by time, space and circumstances surrounding their family's secret library of magical books. One of them is bound to their home and the said library while the other one is currently at a work station in Antarctica, constantly on the move for mysterious reasons.

The first third of the book is dedicated solely to character and world building and I was there for it. This world and its magic came alive for me. The images were so clear and vivid, it was almost like watching a mental movie. There were enough twists and action in the later part of the book that the entertainment factor was there in the best way possible. If you appreciate the true art of storytelling and love magic, you will not want to miss this one!

A huge thank yo

My college library has purchased a copy of this book based on my recommendation for lending to college students.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe, by Emma Torzs, is a staggeringly powerful debut novel, encompassing dark magic, family drama and an action-filled plot.
Esther and Joanna are sisters driven apart by the dangerous forces that are trying to control their family’s books of magic spells. While Esther is in Antarctica, fleeing the dark powers, Joanna, at home in Vermont, must set the wards—protective spells—each night to protect the books stored in her basement. After a slow, foundational, start, the plot takes off with much intrigue and time-related tension, as the sisters fight for their inheritance and their lives!
The characters are richly drawn and unique, feeling both realistic and somewhat diaphanous at times. The storyline is pleasingly complex, and without spoilers, comes full circle on the meaningful four nouns of the title—Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe. All is revealed in a stunning finale!
I found the language and writing lyrical and beautifully descriptive.
This compelling, mesmerizing novel is a superb debut for a promising new writer. I look forward to more works by Emma Torzs.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This is the story of two sisters, the last of their line with a legacy of protecting and preserving magic books.

Joanna, who has inherited the gift of “hearing” the books lives alone since her fathers death. Her sole purpose is tending to and protecting the books. Esther, is currently in Antarctica. She moves once a year to protect herself from attack from the mysterious figures who killed her mother. She has not inherited the gift of hearing the books, and has totally removed herself from that world. That is until, she finds evidence that someone at the base has a book and is practicing mirror magic. Possibly as a way to get to her sister and the books through her.

I loved the ideas in this book! Magic, books, please sign me up 😍. However, I found it had to stay engaged as the first half of the book really dragged. For that reason, I give this book 3.5/5.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC to read and review.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törsz

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately I just didn’t love this one. All the makings of an excellent fantasy story including: spell books written in the blood of a scribe, ancient libraries, mysteries and lonely characters. This book never found it’s stride though.

Too many characters and storylines and a really slow pace made me uninterested in where it was headed. I did stick with it and while the second half was a lot better than the first it still didn’t end up wowing me. @staceylovesastory described it as clunky and that’s exactly how I felt. This one is out on May 30th, thanks to @harpercollinsca for my copy! I’m so curious to see other’s thoughts on it!

On to the next! Reading Cassandra in Reverse which I’m hoping is more engaging and fun!

What are you reading next?

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DNFd at 30%. My policy as a reader and to juggle my busy schedule is to give 30% of a book before deciding what to do. 30% into this one and literally nothing significant has happened. The pacing is painfully slow and boring. I am all for vivid descriptions but I couldn't stand the fact that out of 8 pages of a chapter, 6 were narrative that just kept dragging on and on explaining the character's experiences or thoughts. It just felt like I was being told so many things without being told anything of importance or something to make me be remotely interested in these characters. I heard great reviews about this book and the premise was so interesting. But it failed to deliver for me.

This is a book the defies categorization - there is some magical elements, some thriller, some mystery, some literary fiction, some horror (depending on how you feel about human leather books). But one thing I can save for sure is that it is impactful and stayed with me long after I closed this book.

This book was in no way what I was expecting, but in the best ways. There are multiple POVs that take a while to overlap so you need to hold multiple plots while reading (and speculating if you're like me). All of the characters are flawed fully realized people and while I guessed some of the plot points it felt beside the point as I was reading this beautifully written book.

I feel like it left room for this to become a series, or at least have other books in this series and I wait with bated breath to return to this world.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a debut novel that will seem normal on the outside, only to find that it is something remarkable within. Imagine hearing the hum of magic as you read the pages of a book. This novel sounded like an interesting read, but I hadn't expected it to draw me in to its world like it did.

Magic centers on books written in blood. For Joanna, taking care of a centuries-old library hidden in her basement, it must be hidden at all costs. Her sister Esther has cut ties with the magical world, though she still fears that it will follow her. Across the ocean, Nicholas chafes in his role as the only living person who can write new magical books. For all of them, magic is ancestral and stifling, until it becomes dangerously, personally real. The system of magic is easy to understand but also deep.

If this novel isn't magic, it’s close. It’s rare to find such rich characters who struggle with themselves, a riveting plot, adventure and action and twists, basically everything you could ask for in a novel. If you’re at all a fan of books, I see no reason why you wouldn’t like this one.
Thank you to William Morrow & NetGalley for allowing me to review this book

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torz was a bit of a chore to read. There were important things to know and it took half the book to get the reader up to speed. It was a slog, and boring. But about half way through we got to the actual story and things looked up. Now, I am not a fan of magic and I am not sure how I ended up requesting this book. It was very complicated, maybe more so than it needed to be. The main characters were Nicholas, Esther, and Joanna, with Collins and Cecily coming in a close second for the good guys, and Richard and Maram, for the bad guys. The brunt of the story was a library that housed all magical books known to the librarian based in London, and a small collection of books housed in Vermont. The librarian offered a special service writing new spells, in the form of books. The catch is that they must be written in blood by a Scribe. There is only on Scribe available: Richard’s nephew Nicholas, whom he slowly killing by using too much of this blood without enough recovery time. The relationships were complicated and revealed only in snatches.

The book could have used some editing. Even considering my prejudice against magic, it was a decent book, but too wordy. Stephen King says to use the least amount of words possible. Torz did not follow that dictum. The characters were decently written and interesting, once we got the ball rolling. The plot, simply put, was interesting, but too complicated: too many obscure details. The pacing of the first half was abysmal. It had huge potential but in my opinion, missed the mark.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Ink Blood Sister Scribe by William Morrow, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #WilliamMorrow #EmmaTorz #InkBloodSisterScribe

May is apparently the month for books about books and I am fully in support of this burgeoning trend. This time around we have a story of a Library full of spell books written at the cost of human blood and the guy in charge is using it for profit, which is rather the opposite of The Book that Wouldn't Burn. Ink Blood Sister Scribe is also set in our modern world, so if you'd like a book with a more familiar setting, then do check this out!
Esther Kalotay left home at 18 and has been moving each year on November 2 in order to keep herself and her family safe. This year she's in Antarctica and instead of packing up and hopping on a plane, she's decided to stay with her lover Pearl. What's the worst that could happen? Well, she's certainly going to find out. Many thousands of miles away, Joanna Kalotay is going about her usual business of maintaining the books in her private collection and keeping up the wards surrounding her home. Joanna is young, but she puts her responsibilities above all else, including her own happiness even after her and Esther's father Abe passed two years ago after bleeding on a particularly vicious spellbook. Across the pond in England we meet Nicholas, heir to the Library that threatens the Kalotay sisters and all those others who might possess certain books or certain gifts. Joanna has always been able to sense the magical books, hearing a buzzing hum like a hive of bees when in the presence of a spellbook. Esther, on the other hand, has always been unaffected by the books and their spells even to the point that she cannot read one aloud to use the spells herself.
As we follow these three characters it quickly becomes apparent that somehow they are tied together, though exactly how remains unclear for quite awhile. I always enjoy a convergence, especially if it's one I've been anticipating and this one was satisfying if a bit calmer than I'm used to in a book!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book though it didn't quite have the reeling emotional impact that would make this a 5 star read. The writing and dialog was on point, as was the whole concept of magical spell books written in blood. This is also a standalone, so the story was succinctly wrapped up with no loose plot threads AND it gave a thorough, hopeful epilogue that lasted for more than a single brief chapter. I'd highly recommend this for fellow nerds who can't get enough of books about books!