In a world where magic is real and books are limited the task of two different sisters to save their families legacy will leave you left in their world and gasping for more.

Blown away! Loved this- original dark academia with a fantastic magic system. From very early on I was hoping this was going to be a series, but I think it’s probably a stand alone. I didnt want it to be over. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this treat of a book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early access.

This is another one of those books that I didn’t think I’d enjoy based on the description, but ended up loving!

Some of the characters kept you guessing until the end, the plot was interesting, and I ended up reading for hours to find out what happens.

An image of this book should be attached to the definition of dark academia! It had all the vibes but with a pacy plot that seamlessly slides backstory and exposition in throughout so you never get bogged down. Told from 3 separate character POVs, each delightfully distinct, Ink Blood Sister Scribe follows two sisters as they try to uncover secrets and avoid the nefarious people who would kill to obtain them and the secret library of magical books their family swore to protect. Highly recommend this to fans of The Atlas Six… and also those who hoped for more from that book because this delivers it instead!

I found this book absolutely fascinating, the idea of magic and the effects that power can have on people made a great plot for the book. The storyline was interesting, characters brilliantly written and complex and I just couldn’t stop reading. One of the best fantasies I’ve read for a while.

'Ink Blood Sister Scribe' is an intriguing fantasy debut exploring family, power, and the implications of secrets. Whilst it treads familiar ground for the fantasy genre, it does so in a fresh way, with various narrative choices offering elements of surprise. It's a little rough in places, but overall this is an excellent debut and an enjoyable, atmospheric read.

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a rare collection of books: books that don't just tell stories, but have true magic in their pages. These books let people walk through walls or summon animals. However, all magic comes with a price - and for the Kalotay sisters, the price is isolation. Esther has moved from place to place, trying to outrun the secret, whilst Joanna stayed cloistered at home behind powerful wards. However, after their father is killed by a book Joanna has never seen before, the two sisters are forced together again - and into a world far larger and more dangerous than they imagined.

The story follows three perspective characters: Joanna, Esther, and Nicholas. Each is very different, and pleasingly for a multi-POV book, each has their own engaging thread which complements rather than detracting from the overall narrative. At no point when reading was I sad to change perspective, with each feeling strong and worthwhile.

Esther, the adventurer, is outgoing, flirtatious, and vivacious - but inside, she's desperately lonely. Being forced to move every year and leave each old life behind takes its toll. Now, she's found someone she loves - but by staying around, she risks involving them in the danger she's been warned about since she left home. The sort of character who tries to appear spontaneous but is actually a scrupulous planner, its interesting seeing how Esther reconciles the two sides of her identity as the story develops.

Joanna, meanwhile, is a homebody - happiest surrounded by books - but one who, thanks to the wards, has also been forced one step further into a recluse. Her paranoia has her permanently in her shell, her mind always preoccupied. Despite that, she's a strong and resilient woman, extremely caring - and with a mile-wide romantic streak thanks to an obsession with romance novels. Joanna is easy for any bookworm to relate to, and her relationship with Esther is beautifully written.

Nicholas is, in some ways, an interesting inclusion - the book is strongly about family, and here he's an outlier. Raised by his uncle in a shadowy organisation known as the library, Nicholas's job is to be a Scribe - to write books of magic for the highest bidder. This ability is so rare that Nicholas is shut away for his own protection, rarely allowed to interact with the outside world. Excursions out have always lead to disaster. Nicholas has elements in common with both Esther and Joanna, and an excellent sense of humour that's not fully utilised - but sadly, his character development stagnates in the second half of the book, languishing behind the Kalotay sisters. The way his character is treated forces the reader to confront their assumptions about the role of White Knight characters in fantasy, and I can see why it's done - but it does feel a little like a waste of his potential.

There are light side romance elements - one sapphic, one male-female - but no central romance, with the focus more on the central mysteries and magic. Esther's relationship is convincing, the other less so - but it's a small part of the story that detracts little from overall enjoyment.

The atmosphere is one of the strongest elements. Torzs does an excellent job building secrecy, paranoia, and mystery at every turn. The magic system itself feeds into the eerie atmosphere, centred around blood magic and herbalism - yet without seeming too gory. The first half of the book is slow paced, building that atmosphere and introducing each character - the second is much faster, allowing the threads to unravel.

The climax itself is a tad underwhelming - it feels very predictable, with too much foreshadowing and an act that doesn't necessarily feel in character. However, it ties all the threads with an appropriate level of finality, satisfying enough for this to stand as a debut with potential for spinoffs should the author want to expand the world.

Overall, this is a strong debut with three solid and complementary characters, a gorgeous atmosphere threaded through with tension and the musty smell of old books, and engaging writing that draws the reader in. A recommended read.

The more I read this book, the more I got intrigued. I do enjoy plot twists – this instantaneously makes the story so much better. This being said it was a truly enjoyable read with great pacing, keeping the intrigue up until the very end of the book.
It’s difficult to review such books and avoid spoilers, so I won’t write too much. It’s a great book for book nerds and magic lovers, where history intertwines with modern life, and where families hide more secrets than one could imagine. And, how all the dots connect in the end. There is plenty of room for further books, if there are ever meant to be any, or simply for the reader’s imagination of how the story could continue further.

Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe opens in an antarctic research base with Esther, a woman who moves every year on the same day in November and starts a new life; she’s running to save her sister’s life, but she doesn’t quite know why - only that her father told her she must. Meanwhile, her sister, Joanna, lives a solitary life in the house they grew up with, looking after a set of mysterious books that to her ears hum - these are the magic spell books her father painstakingly collected - but Joanna can’t work out how to write a new one, and lives with the books behind protective wards that means she is isolated. Finally, there’s Nicholas, living in a mansion with his cold uncle, who writes them every day, using his own blood, but is just as trapped as Joanna is. The three will come together when Esther unwittingly breaks the rule of moving on every November, bringing about a set of magical happenings that endangers all of them.

I did enjoy this book but it took me a little while at the beginning to warm to it or to the characters, I’m not sure why. Once I did it was a very quick read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Century for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a intriguing, multilayered, and atmospheric dark academia fantasy debut that pays homage to books and a magic that exacts a heavy price from Emma Torzs, although it did take a little while before I became immersed in the storytelling. There are three distinct characters and threads in the narrative, separated for years, Joanna and Esther have a family legacy to protect. Joanna lives alone in Vermont, restricted to home so that she can protect their collection of magical books, whilst Esther is condemned to having to move after living in a place for a year, which confers its own sense of loneliness. Esther now lives on a Antarctic research station, and she now has reason to not want to move, the blood on the mirrors tells her she is in danger

The special Nicholas lives in the family mansion housing a hidden magical library in the UK, he holds the role of the last scribe, his blood has the ability to write magic, but only at the cost of his health. The author engages in vivid and imaginative world building in this tale of power, mystery, spells, the divisions and dangers in magic, the blood, spells, gloss, family secrets, deceit, lies, machinations and family. We learn of how things used to be for the main protagonists, the joys and magic of Joanna and Esther's memories of growing up together before everything disintegrates, and the challenges and threats that follow before the truth is revealed. This will appeal to readers drawn to the darkest of fantasies and magical realism. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This is a beautifully written tale about magical books, the Scribes who write them and sisterhood. I love books about books and this was very well done with a unique spin. All the characters were engaging and I want more from the world and characters.. fingers crossed for a sequel as I think this world has more stories in it🤞🏼

Sisters Esther and Joanna were raised among a collection of rare books; magic books written in blood. But now they are estranged, their father dead and a whole world between them. Joanna lives secluded in the woods of Vermont, barely leaving the safety of her warded family home. It is her duty to protect the books now that she’s the last one left. Esther has fled, never staying more than a year in one location, running from something she can’t share.
While working at an Antarctic base, Esther has found something, someone, worth staying put for. Surely she must be safe in such a remote location? She can’t outrun the magic forever.
Dark and gripping, a shedload of mystery and intrigue, I loved it! It’s been a long time since I read a book that I couldn’t bear to put down, but Ink Blood Sister Scribe hit all the right notes.
For starters, I particularly enjoy a remote, isolated setting like the Antarctic. Esther’s opening chapters are so tense, the remoteness being cast as safety right until it isn’t. The backstory and explanations come at exactly the right pace, you’re not told much at the start, but it’s slowly drip fed until a picture emerges and the clues start locking into place.
And then there is Nicholas, the last heir of a family of scribes, those who write the magic books. While Joanna, completely cut off from the rest of the magical world, has been unsuccessfully experimenting with creating new books, we find the reasons why from Nicholas’s point of view sections. His family have been writing books for centuries, writing books to order to whoever can afford them.
Nicholas has had a cloistered upbringing, on purpose of course, and is naïve about the family business. While he knows a lot about the books and the magic, he is soon to learn the terrible secrets of his family.
I guess his family could be seen as stereotypical, posh rich British people who trample over people to get what they want…but have you seen the real world recently? They would totally exist if magic books were a thing.
One thing I never worked out was why did Abe write in that book? Was he just curious? I felt like he knew so much, he must have had an idea of what it would do.
It’s a standalone but I would very much like a companion novel set in the same world. There seems so much else that could be explored, especially the plans laid out for their future.

This witchy and atmospheric fantasy about books that shouldn't be opened was a brilliant evening read and one I'm sure I'll be going back to!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future!

INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE by Emma Törzs

An ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE will be published on 30 May 2023.

When Esther left to live a restless life far outside the wards of her family home, she broke her sister's heart. Not even when their father dies at the hands of a book their family was tasked to protect, can Joanna convince Esther to return home. But the people that seek their valuable family collection of magical books stop at nothing to achieve their goals, forcing Joanna and Esther to face and untangle decades worth of secrets, loyalty and betrayal.

Passionate and whimsical with room for improvement

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is Emma Törzs' debut novel after multiple, sometimes award-winning shorter science fiction and fantasy (most recently The Path of Water in Uncanny Magazine. Her novel is just as full of densely woven prose as readers have grown to know and love. In novel-length, however, Törzs' style can feel cluttered and, especially in the beginning, off-beat. Once all the points-of-view are established, though, pace and plot start to pick up and take the reader on a thrilling journey to unravel well-kept (family) secrets.

At the centre of these is a kind of vague magic that allows for ephemeral beauty, petty revenge as well as old-fashioned immortality. The balance here leans somewhat heavily towards whimsy and child-like fantasies (flying carpets, mirror magic, communication with animals!) - much like in the literary inspirations behind Ink Blood Sister Scribe. Similarly, the ramifications of magic are adressed only in passing and the consequences of the ending in particular would have deserved a closer look. Instead, there is a passionate love for books and their magic that moves the main characters who themselves are only at the beginning of their jorney of understanding the magic that has shaped their lives. Which, in turn, makes some of the blind spots easier to swallow and will excite book nerds near and far.

Rating

The beginning wasn't boring but it did take about a third of the book until all the relevant chess pieces were revealed and the plot finally picked up. Towards the end, Ink Blood Sister Scribe gripped me so thoroughly that I lost a couple of hours of sleep just so I could finish "one more chapter." Overall, Törzs wrote an entertaining, not-quite-four-stars debut novel that still has some room to improve.

Books about books: perfection

Aah I loved this so much!! It was the perfect blend of drama and humour and violence and romance and I had such a good time! I expected it to be quite literary (if that makes any sense) but it was a lot more action packed which I enjoyed

I really loved both Joanna and Esther. They were clearly quite different people, but they each had a fierce protectiveness that you could see united them as sisters and I loved following their parallel storylines through. As for Nicholas and Collins - the unexpected loves of my life I didn’t know I needed. I’ll admit, I was kind of shipping them a little bit but with Joanna mentioning being alone and potentially thinking about having someone to love, I could tell it wasn’t gonna happen.

The whole resolution behind who was hunting Esther and what that mysterious book was about, I worked out quite quickly, but it wasn’t so much about that for me as I was hooked on the story of how all our characters would eventually meet and how it would all get resolved!

I feel like with any more detail I’d be giving too much a way, but it is a brilliant story with plenty of little twists to keep you reading!!

I’d love a sequel (or five lol), even something with Collins and his life before working for Nicholas. With the library and Joanna’s collection, I think there are a lot of potential stories that could be pursued but it works as a standalone, as I think it’s meant to be - and I can’t have everything I want!!

An interesting concept for a book. The story line brings together a fantasy element (magical books and people who can detect them) and a thriller element (shootings and dead bodies!) - quite a mix that strangely works! For a debut novel it was well written although it was very slow in in the beginning when setting the scene. Once you get into the bones of the story it begins to flow well. The title does not really convey what the book is about.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this book.

This started off a little slow, but soon picked up. While it never got fast paced I didn't mind. I think it worked for this type of story.
I found myself intrigued throughout. Wondering about how the magic system works and how being a scribe works.

The main characters were enjoyable. But I wish we got a little more of the sisters together, but I understand why we didn't.

An issue I had was the ending. We got the big "finish" then it jumps 2 months without really showing a proper aftermath which I would have liked to see.
It just felt like a part of the story was missing.

A thrilling twisty and absorbing fantasy read for bibliophiles. With books that can kill and magical books hidden in case they fall into the wrong hands, I couldn't put it down. Imaginative and dark this is one of my favourite reads this year.

This is an absolutely amazing debut novel. Törzs writing is gorgeously lyrical and completely enchanting, and her characterisation so compelling that it is able to carry you through the slower first two parts of the book. The world building is also incredible, and it feels expansive beyond the contents of the novel. The novels three central characters are all equally interesting yet distinct perspectives, and the plot contains many twists, some I predicted and some I didn’t. I also loved the romances, which felt natural and genuinely sweet. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. This is a brilliant first book and I am anxiously waiting to read whatever else Törzs produces next.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I was looking forward to this book for so many reasons however it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Everything about this book on paper appeals to me but i found the first 60% so slow that i wasn't to DNF multiple of times.
That being said the pace picked up hugely in the last 40% and the story line did grip me.
I loved the mystery/thriller mixed with fantasy aspect of the story once it had gotten going
I really enjoyed the characters and the way they interacted.
The three part POV may have been the reason it felt too slow burn for me at the beginning (however i usually enjoy multiple POV) but once the storylines merged together i followed much more fluidly!
Still a lot more they could do with the world and magic system and i definitely have many unanswered questions so would carry on if it has an sequels.

Rating it a 3.5... could have been a 4 if the paced was quicker at the beginning.