You'll find yourself trying to figure out what this book about books is all about. However, despite the mysteries, a lot is laid out in plain sight, which makes it easy to follow. About a quarter into the book we're introduced to everything mentioned in the title. Ink. Blood. Sister. Scribe. And the magic system is easy to understand as well: magic is bound in books and needs blood to be written, recharged or activated. There's those with magic and those untouched by magic - the latter able to become Scribes.
All this is the basis of a kind of mystery story, however it's not so much the plot I was interested in but the characters. We start with a triple POV and I have to admit that at first I only cared about Esther. But then - in very unique ways - these people slowly start coming together, and by 66% of the book I was so pleased with the team having been assembled (and yes Sir Kiwi is also part of this team!) that I just couldn't stop reading.
I would have luckily watched them inking and blooding and sistering and scribing for the rest of the book, but there's some twists and turns still in wait!
I was very satisfied by the end of the book, though I'd still love to read more of them, how they're all doing now in their own way. I'm sure there's room for plenty more!

4,5/5 stars

Thank you so much @netgalley and @centurybooksuk @delreyuk for the eARC!

#InkBloodSisterScribe #bookstagram

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

Let me preface this with some facts:
We've got Dark Academia, queer representation, disabled representation, hidden Libraries, spell books, and pints of blood.

This was such a gripping read, and I loved every second of it.
Esther was my favourite of the three main characters that we had, just because I felt for her the most- having to leave her family and move around the world every year. Not to say that I didn't enjoy Joanna, who was kick ass in a totally different way, and Nicholas, who was a gentle soul of a man, which I really liked.
I can see this becoming a fantastic tv series or movie, it was cinematic, and the writing style was so well done. I love a chapter that ends on a cliff hanger!
Trigger warnings for:
Loss of a loved one, divorce, blood, maiming, and abandonment.

Dark Academia isn’t my favourite area of fantasy but the ideas behind this one sounded so intriguing that I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.
The story is told through the POV of the three main characters and while I enjoyed Esther’s chapters, I didn’t really engage with either of the other two. The pace of the book is very slow and I often found my attention wandering. However, it does pick up a bit in the second part of the book and I did become more involved with the story.
I loved the ideas behind the story but sadly, the book as a whole just didn’t hold my interest. Part of this I think was due to the complexity of the plot and it just might have been that this was the wrong book for me at this time.
I am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully written debut novel, a languid stroll down an avenue of dark academia scribe magic, secret societies and the ways people can deal with grief differently.
Although the pacing was slow there were enough twists and turns in the plot as secrets were revealed to keep me interested, the characters were endearing and relatable.

If you loved a Discovery Of Witches, Bable and book eaters or just dark academia in general this book is for you.

It is a bit of a slow burn but once you get through 40/50% you will not be able to put it down.

This is such a unique look into the magic world. And it has books in it what more could you ask for. Thank you #netgalley for my eARC.

An exciting new voice in fantasy writing. A beautiful story about love, books and finding your place in the world. Loved it. (Although whoever thinks Hamlet killed his uncle in Act 3 needs a rethink!)

The premise of this book really drew me in. I love books about books and this delivers on that with books being at the forefront throughout. The magic system was super cool. I thought it was well done because the magic was rich and well explained, which gave the whole book the depth a fantasy book like this one requires.

I liked all of the characters and felt they were really fleshed out with their own goals and motives and they really stuck to their characterisation throughout rather than conveniently switching it up towards the end to save the day.

The issue I had with this book was the pacing. It felt super slow to the point where for the majority of the book it felt like nothing was happening and we were just waiting for things to pick up. The climax was also very short lived and resolved almost immediately,

Firstly thank you NetGalley for providing me an eArc for review!

I was instantly intrigued by the cover and title of Ink Blood Sister Scribe before reading anything at all in the synopsis. It drew me in, but it was the premise of the story itself that made me know I just had to read it.

Magical books? Sisters estranged by secrecy? Mysterious libraries and suspicious people running them? I'm here for that!

The first half of the book is a slow reveal. It introduces our three main characters, two sisters apart for 10 years, Joanna and Esther, and Nicholas, a young man with a gift. We get to see the lives they've lived through their current situations and also through flashes of memories. On the surface they all seem so different, but they're each, individually, living lives of such isolation and structure that they mirror each other in so many ways. Whilst a few key things did happen, it was a drawn out process and at times I struggled to fully engage.

The second half was when all the pieces of the puzzle came together, and by that point I honestly did not want to put the book down. Walls come crashing down, secrets are revealed, plots within plots begin to unfold, and you're never quite sure who you can trust or what the endgame might actually be. I came to really like each individual character and I would love to know more about certain people and how they came to be the way they did.

This is a wrapped up novel in that it definitely could be a standalone, but there are threads to be pulled and stories left to unravel so I'm really hopeful that Emma Törzs will bring us another book in this fascinating world!

What a fabulous book. The fact that this is a debut novel gives me absolute hope for further brilliant reads. Anyone who is a fan of the All Souls Trilogy, Harry Potter or any other magic based stories will love this! It is hard to write a review without spoilers and the best review I can give is to read the book as it is amazing. I am hoping for great things in the future from Emma Törzs!

Joanna Kalotay lives in Vermont. Her father Abe has recently died leaving her the only person remaining in the family home.
Ester is Joanna’s elder sister, Joanna misses Ester living with her.
A book about Blood, Magic and Spells.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Great world building … check; strong, well developed characters… check; an absorbing, well written plot … check; Books, books, books … check, check, check!

End of.

This is a gem of a book, what an achievement for a debut novelist. Thanks very much to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A truly wonderful book, very reminiscent of Babel or The Book Eaters, or in a way, like Sea of Tranquillity, in the way the pieces all line up in the end.
My only regret is that it's clear it's a pretty self-contained story, and I'm not altogether sure whether we'll get a sequel or a prequel. But don't let that stop you from enjoying this, especially in the world of amazing 1 season shows on HBO, and other excellent fantasy standalones.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs follows 3 people; Esther at a research station in the Antarctic who every year has to move to avoid people trying to capture her family through her or so she thinks. Her step sister, Joanna, still in their old home in US tasked with looking after a family collection of magical books. She can't leave the home and has to ensure the magical wards are set every night to keep people out including her stepmother. Then there is Nicholas who writes spells for the "family business" in the UK using his own blood which is literally killing him. For his own good Nicholas is virtually under house arrest by his uncle to prevent him being kidnapped or killed for this ability or to destroy this ability.

The three characters are linked by the magic and the books they hold and come together to solve the mystery of the books and the magical powers they have.

I found the start of the book slow and was not sure if it was going to grip me enough to want to go on. Once Nicholas came on the scene however for me the pace of the book and the intricacy of the story increased and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. The characters were well rounded and well described even the nasty ones.

A definite must read for those interested in magic and books.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy.

I was drawn to "Ink Blood Sister Scribe" by Emma Törzs as it is about books, and those who protect books. I did have to put it down a few times when the fantasy element became a bit too much for me (not my favourite genre) but as the story progressed and the various narrative threads came together, the story became really interesting. I can see that it is set up so that the story could continue and I am sure that this series will have a great following.

I absolutely loved this book, there were so many levels of interest and twists and turns. I plan to read it again, it is a delight. I would highly recommend it to all.

There was a lot to love about this book, from the interesting magic system to the fascinating and multi-layered exploration of magical colonialism and capitalism - who gets to collect the books and how. However, I did not connect with the characters as much as I wanted to.

This debut fantasy thriller has absolutely enchanted me! From the intriguing premise to the wonderful magic system, the endearing characters to the stunning writing, I adored every single thing about Ink Blood Sister Scribe. This has become one of my top three favourite books of all time – that’s how much I loved it! I can’t wait for everyone else to become bewitched by this stunning debut.

One of the best books I've read this year. Absolutely grabs you right from the start, unique and well thought through magic system, that is exactly as gory as it should be. Just so unique and beautiful all around. The characters are really well developed. And on a somewhat random note it made me really want a Pomeranian.

A fabulous debut novel with some very interesting magic, mystery and wonderful prose.

The story revolves around books. Not just any books though, for these books contain magic. I really liked the take on how these magical books worked (I won't spoil it here), and how only certain people can read or even write them. I also appreciated how it leant into 'all magic comes with a price' and the various ways in which that notion applied to each character.

The characters themselves, Joanna, Esther and Nicholas were all very different, their POV's very individual and all equally interesting. Joanna is a homebody, content to be surrounded by only her books for company, though plagued with a paranoia induced by her aloneness. Esther is the opposite, a headstrong adventurer who is always on the move. And Nicholas, kept hidden behind the walls of The Library for his own safety, rarely allowed any interaction with anyone save his tiny handful of family.

I love the atmosphere Törzs created with her writing. there was an undercurrent of danger, of threat to the characters through the whole book. It built slowly at first, and then very quickly bubbled to the surface in a way that made it very difficult to put the book down. The writing itself was excellent, and I am very impressed that this is a debut novel!

This .was a different kind of read for me as sometimes I have a hard time with fantasy type books but I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this one it was extremely well written with that extra something.
I think the main reason this was such a good read was because apart from all the magic, which was fabulous, it was also a damn good thriller to boot. I’m not going to say much more about the storyline as I don’t want to give anything away but it really is a book that I’m sure both fantasy lovers and thriller lovers will love. The read has a whole heap of good characters most of whom I really liked and the story flew by at a fair old pace, it also had some beautiful descriptions of the surroundings and it’s hard to believe this is a debut book so much praise to the author and many thanks to her for such a great read.
My thanks also toNetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.