I was looking forward to reading this as the blurb sounded amazing and it did not disappoint! I would say this is more of a thriller with a fantasy element to it, it was so gripping I found I finished it in no time! Hard to believe this is the author’s debut!

Emma Törzs's debut novel, Ink Blood Sister Scribe, sounded SO up my street I was actually a bit wary of it. Would a story that combines so many of my random interests in fiction - sisters, Antarctica, magical books, woods, Vermont - actually work? (Plus the bits of Spanish and the mention of Playmobil childhood games, which I didn't know about until I actually read it). I've been disappointed recently, too, by some dark-academia-book-magic-adjacent stuff like Katy Hays' The Cloisters and Sara Gran's The Book of the Most Precious Substance. But not to worry, because this one delivers. I was especially captivated by the first half, which moves between Esther, who is working on a remote Antarctic research base with her girlfriend when she realises someone is performing mirror magic; her younger sister Joanna, who lives isolated in rural Vermont, keeping up the wards on the family home; and Nicholas, who has also lived as a virtual captive all his life as the only Scribe in a mysterious library. Esther and Joanna are both wonderful characters, as are the other members of their family circle. (Nicholas, for me, felt a bit reminiscent of other young snarky male victims of magical wrongdoing, perhaps most obviously Garth Nix's Nicholas Sayre in the Abhorsen books, but this was partly compensated for by his bodyguard Collins, who is quietly hilarious.) When the plot kicks in fully about halfway through, this becomes a bit more run-of-the-mill, and I missed some of the dark strangeness of the early chapters, as atmosphere is sacrificed to pace and the mood becomes cheerier, more YA-ish, despite some nasty twists. Nevertheless, a superior example of its sub-genre, and I'd describe it as a cross between Bridget Collins' The Binding and Mariana Enriquez's Our Share of Night.

Honestly, this book deserves ALL THE STARS in the world. I adored it, I immediately wanted to reread it. It in short blew me away.

I knew little about this book before going in other than it was a book about magical books, but OH MY. From the concept, to the disability and lgbtq+ rep and everything in-between this is a book ill reread time and time again.

Ink Blood…. Is an urban fantasy set in a world that mirrors our own, It’s a book filled with secrets, loss, betrayals and magic. Focusing on a two sisters, who have been estranged from each other for years but are drawn back together due to the collection of magical books they have been entrusted with keeping safe. Suddenly they are crossing oceans, fighting a mysterious organisation who, seems to not only want the collection of books but something else and unravelling centuries old family secrets.

If you love a mystery, with a bit of magic this is a book for you.

Disability Rep - Monocular vision (Visual Impairment)
- Anaemia

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this arc.

I did not enjoy this as much as I thought it would. I could not connect to the characters nor the story.

A totally believable story about a series of incredible events unravels when two sisters are brought together again after years apart. Bit by bit they question what they've been told and what they understand about their family and their circumstances, and when they are connected with a young man from across the world they start to ask better questions and together make something very special happen.

Great characters, magic books, complex story threads - what's not to love?

I really liked the synopsis when I first read it and I feel this book is very unique in the way the magic theme was used. Emma made the use of spell books unique within the pages of the book which made this a page turner.


The first part of the book was a slow read and I struggled to get into whilst it was setting the scene and also giving history on the books, the MC’s and the situation they both faced. Nicholas and Esther both have an interesting back story which is why I pushed through and carried on which i am glad I did !

The second half I completely adored, there was so many twists I didn’t know that were coming and I could not put it down ! In places it was extremely dark and gruesome but it worked well the the premise of the book.

What a fun magical adventure! I loved how the story slowly unfolded and you got to piece it all together along with all the characters.

I do wish it was just a smidge shorter and didn’t have such a slow build in the first part but at about half way through the book flies.

The 3 parts are separated perfectly to go with the pacing and it all wraps up nicely.

Overall: grab if you want magical realism and don’t mind world building in the first half

Favorite Character: Collins

Well I love this novel. What was in there not to love when you have books filled with magic, half sisters with different powers and a wonderful villain . A fantasy but also a page turning thriller. No spoilers as this would spoil the enjoyment, but this novel kept me up reading to late in the night and paints the world to which I would like to return. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Magic books, one powerful sister who is keeping the books safe and the powerless sister hiding faraway to protect her family. Or is it really the whole story...?
In this multi POV magical novel, you'll be given a story to realise it doesn't fit the other stories...who is protecting who, who's running from who, who's looking for who, and why?
This was full of suspense, magic and also really cute. The sisters bond as well as the mini romance...( Not the biggest part of the story) were really sweet!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved this book!! I got so utterly absorbed in the pages of this magical world and fell in love with the story of Joanna, Ester and Nicholas. I have recently fallen back in love with magic stories and am easing into fantasy and this was such a great book to add to my collection. I loved the slow realisation of the secrets slotting into place for the characters in a subtle manner which swept me away into the story.

Two half sisters have taken different paths and think they are doing the right thing to protect their families but things are coming to a head when love means rules are ignored and the secrets that have been kept start to unravel. This is an engaging read and the two sisters, Esther out in Antarctica and Joanna back in Vermont, are both intriguing characters that have you soon invested in their paths and what is to come. The story is a great blend of magic, family relationships and a mystery to be uncovered. As the story develops and more great characters are added the pace picks up, after a slightly slow start, and it has a very exciting last third.
There is a real emotional pull in the story and I would certainly look out for more books by Emma Torzs.

I adored this book! The writing was so beautiful I fell in love with the way the author described things and I was immersed in the story from page 1.
The story is delicious mix of magic and mystery as our different characters are drawn together and deal with their complex relationships with each other.
Also - nobody told me this was queer!?!?! I loved it.

Beautiful prose, rich in detailed description without being weighed down by unnecessarily flowery language. This fantasy book is best read in a comfy chair, surrounded by walnut bookshelves, from a beautiful leather bound special edition (as yet not found 👀) - it feels like a luxury to read. But instead of being a comforting read, we have a mystery - at times chilling - and the unravelling of the truths our three narrators keep as the focal points of their lives. You'll find yourself on tenterhooks as the tale takes a dark turn, you're no longer sure who can be trusted and who is leading our protagonists astray!

Lovely characterization, particularly between Esther and Joanna, as you see a true depiction of sisters - sometimes loving, sometimes resentful and full of misunderstandings and misinterpretations!

The books hold magic and must be protected so every night Joanna sets the Wards. Meanwhile her sister Esther must decide whether to move on as instructed by her father or stay and try living a normal life.

Magic is written by a Scribe but at a price as blood must be drained to produce the ink.

Loved this novel centred on a few main characters whose lives will soon interact. They are in danger and magic may be the only way to protect them. But who can they trust?

For once, a book title that tells you everything you need to know about this magical thriller.
Ink, a great love of the written word, and the way they are protected.
Blood, sweat and tears, all to do with the written words.
Sister, singular, then plural, unknown at first, relevance is high.
Scribe, writer of words, books and spells.
Esther is working at the South Pole research station, she has to keep moving every November to keep safe, this entails a new job, friends and lovers, all because a man was killed by a book.
Joanna is her sister, she stays at home to protect the family collection of rare and sometimes dangerous books from those who seek magical knowledge to increase their power.
Nicholas is a scribe, protected and hidden away from those who want to use his gifts for evil.
A complicated start at first, we have numerous characters to introduce, but as the pace picks up, it is a lovely mix of puzzles and adventures.
A magical library, full of spells, and great wisdom, with some danger attached. Everything is connected, but most of the characters don’t know this fact, a story full of deception in order to protect the innocent.
I was highly intrigued by this story, it created many different emotions for me. I felt great sympathy and pity for Nicholas, a life spent in seclusion and under the protection of a bodyguard.
There was anger at the way family members turn against each other for their own selfish desires, loyalty and betrayal are very close bedfellow’s, but there was a great determination to make amends and the realisation that lies told, do not have to change fate.
Strong characters in my view were Esther and Collins, both going above and beyond to save people who are threatened.
A thought provoking book , I really enjoyed this magical fantasy.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Penguin Random House UK for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my unbiased review. A five star read. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley, and it was brilliant.

It's based on a world where all magical books are written by Scribes who use their blood to physically write out the spells. Scribes are not able to read/cast the spells, and they are also unaffected by any magic. We also have other people who can feel/hear/smell the magic within the books, whereas to most people, they are just normal books.

We have 3 main characters (shout out to Collins though) and they are Joanna & and Esther, who are half sisters that have been estranged for the last 10 years. Joanna is someone who senses the magic and Esther as we know it has no ability when it comes to magic and we have Nicolas who is a Scribe and he's been training since he was a small boy and it's all he's ever known.

The 3 characters come together in the most twisty/turny way, to essentially stop a villain and learn who they truly are. I honestly couldn't put it down. The whole premis of the book I just found so interesting, and I couldn't stop turning the page. It honestly kept me guessing throughout.

I enjoyed this story of family, magic and books. I liked the way the story unfolds for the different characters and how they are drawn together.

It wasn't love at first page as it took a bit to be hooked and be immersed in this story. The beginning is a bit slow and you are left wondering because I wasn't able to understand.
The it took speed and I couldn't put down.
Well plotted, twisty and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’ve read a couple of ARCS surrounding dangerous books and Ink Blood Sister Scribe manages to make the topic both a thriller and an adventure at the same time. The stories between the two sisters make up a deeply personal conflict in a mysterious threat that brings guns to the door and families to ruins. Esther and Joanna are very closed off in the same ways yet have different ways of coping with the bizarre actions surrounding inked pages and the bloody aftermath. Both satisfying and page-turning.

This was a great story with lots of fresh, exciting elements and an interesting family dynamic. I would definitely be willing to read more about these characters! Books about books are such a fun premise for me.
My mild critiques are as follows: It may have been easier to connect to the characters if there weren't quite so many POVs. The magic system was intriguing but could have been explored a little further. I felt the author could have done a little more research as I spotted a few factual errors.