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.

I don’t read a lot of contemporary fantasy. Something about cell phones and magic existing in the same world takes the mystery and wonder out of the experience of reading fantasy and escaping to another world. But I love books about sisters and the bonds between them, so when I read the synopsis of Ink Blood Sister Scribe, I knew I’d be breaking my self-imposed rule.

The world of Ink Blood Sister Scribe isn’t that different from our own. People go to work, spend time with their friends and family, and pursue their hobbies. But there is an undercurrent of magic running through objects that you probably have within your view as you read this review: books. In the world of this story, certain books contain spells that can alter the very fabric of reality for the people that possess them. What fuels these books? Blood. Blood flows through so many aspects of this story, and it is blood that separates the two half-sisters at its core, Joanna and Esther. Joanna has the ability to read magical books, while Esther cannot be touched by magic at all, destined to always feel like an outsider in a family steeped in magic. Raised to protect their family’s library of magical books, the two sisters become estranged after one of those very books kills their father. Esther leaves home and never comes back, while Joanna is left to try to hold on to what her father held most dear, the house, the books, and herself. After their father dies, they are forced to reckon with the very forces that drove them apart, finding that they are in a lot more danger than they anticipated: someone is after their family, and they’ll stop at nothing to get to them.

I picked up this book for the sisters, and I’m so glad that I did! Joanna and Esther’s relationship was so complicated, fraught, loving, and REAL. I have a half sister, and she’s one of the most important parts of my life. That quote about half sisters really hit home! We’re seven years apart, but it has never felt like a gulf that we could not cross. I’d do anything for her. So I’ve always been intrigued by representations of sisters in books. I love when it’s done well—when it pulls at your heartstrings, shows the sisters as their own people, and examines all the ways the relationship can fracture or come together. Ink Blood Sister Scribe shows a sister relationship on the brink; Joanna and Esther are having a hard time bridging the gap made by guilt, anger, disappointment, and distance. Both characters are fully realized and developed, and when they come together, their interactions are sometimes fraught but always brimming with hope that they can mend what’s been broken between them. They struggle—not only with outside dangers but with fitting together as individuals, as adults. They have not seen each other in a decade and that has taken its toll. But as a reader, I always felt like they’d make it back to each other, both literally and figuratively.

Okay, now let’s talk briefly about the magic in Ink Blood Sister Scribe. Even though the title has the word blood in it, for some reason I was not expecting this book to be as dark and bloody as it was. I have no idea why lol. It being a contemporary fantasy about sisters and magic books made me think it would be lighter than the fantasies I usually read, even though danger was mentioned in the synopsis. That was a mistake on my part! I mentioned above how blood permeates every aspect of this book, and it really does. Those magic books? Yeah, their ink is BLOOD. There is also a book made of human skin—I’ll say no more than that. In this world, there are people called Scribes, and it is their blood that is used to write magic books. There is currently only one Scribe in the whole world, so you can imagine just how much blood that person uses daily to keep magical books in production. Magic books are a rare and hot commodity, and their production is wrapped up in some shady hands.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is a standalone book that manages to cover so many topics: family and the bonds they contain; power and who should be in control of it; privilege; loneliness. After finishing, I wanted more, and while I think it has series potential, I’m happy with how it ended. I cannot wait to see what Törzs writes next; she has a fan in me!

In the world of Ink Blood Sister Scribe, books possess the power to grant individuals extraordinary powers—books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther were raised to honor and protect. However, all magic exacts a price, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has been on the run for ten years, fleeing the same fate that claimed the life of her mother. Joanna isolates herself in her home, all alone, save for the company of the magical tomes. But when Esther makes a grave mistake, the sisters are thrown into a fight for their lives, against an evil that they can't seem to identify.

The best aspect of this novel for me is its magic system. There are two types of magical people: those who can write books, known as Scribes, and those who can sense which books contain magic. The rules and limitations of the magic system are well thought out, which gave me the opportunity to fully enjoy the book without any confusion. The fantastical elements really reminded me why I, as a reader, enjoy books so much in the first place. The plot completely revolves around the magic system, which meant we had the whole novel to immerse ourselves in it.

The plot of "Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe" is well-paced, balancing moments of action and suspense with building the magic and world system. The story unfolds gradually, which gave me time to absorb the intricate details of the plot while it built tension toward the climactic moments. The three different characters balanced the plot well, and all contributed to it.

While the plot excels, the character development falls slightly short. Our three protagonists, Esther, Joanna, and Nicholas, all are so interesting, but I wanted to get to know them more. We get a little more backstory about Emile and Joanna, considering they are sisters. Nicholas is introduced later and seems out of place for the first few chapters. I was hoping to see the sisterly bond between Esther and Joanna explored more, especially the hurt and grief they had to overcome in order to help each other. While I liked Nicholas, for he added some much-needed humor to the story, I wanted more from him besides having a tragic past and being comedic relief.

The ending was too soon for me. I finally had a grasp on the characters and was excited to see where they were going, only for it to end. I never think standalone novels should be a series, but this book is the exception. While the plot concluded nicely, the characters had finally found their stride, and I was really enjoying the relationships starting to flourish. Fingers crossed that there will be another book!

Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe, is a magical book that reminded me of why I loved reading in the first place. I fell in love with Torzs's writing style and how she made this magical book come to life. I am eager to read what else she has in store!

Big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the sisters and this was such an interesting premise. The suspense was killer and had my anxiety through the roof (in a good way). Everything is so multilayered and richly written, such a stunning debut novel!