This is a tale that’s so multilayered, so richly woven together that the narrative entertainingly meanders through puzzle solving, uncovering long hidden family secrets and self discovery. Throughout Törzs deliciously blends together contemporary with classic fairytale staples such as various enchantments, magic mirrors, forest animals, a quest, absent parents and even a stepmother. Like any dark fairytale, it is also drenched in blood. There is a fascinating twist on witches and mages as instead of spells just being read aloud and cast, blood is the key to activating the magic or for creating it. There are those who can feel and even hear magic but cannot create it, and there are those who can create it but never feel or hear it. Then there are some spells that are ongoing, that are a work in progress, that hold the power to drain the user’s blood dry. Pearl raised her hand, those long fingers wrapped around the stem of an imaginary glass. “Here’s to the crowd. May they love us.” The best kind of books do not simply expand our world, they let in light from new ones. Törz's spellbinding Ink Blood Sister Scribe embodies that completely. Chilling and charming in equal parts, Törz's debut is a love letter to stories everywhere. Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride Though a note for the editor: there's no airport in Brattleboro, and NYC is a 3.5-5.5 hour drive from Vermont, not 8 hours.) Which ultimately means that their POVs hold no interest for me. They can't make interesting observations or enrich the world or the stakes for me. It just often feels like watching a child complete a scavenger hunt.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs - BookBrowse Reviews of Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs - BookBrowse

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. I also found Nicholas’ upbringing quite fascinating and really enjoyed the juxtaposition between his own sheltered upbringing and that of Esther and Joanne’s, which, despite the similarities highlights just how severely lonely and starved of affection he is. Seeing how easily Nicholas risks his own well being to gain approval was genuinely quite heartbreaking—and his earnest attempts at friendship, with both his surly bodyguard and Esther made me want to give him a big hug. ARC provided by Rachel at Century Books and Eliza at William Morrow. Thank you both for the copies! All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.My amazing body, yes, obviously,” said Pearl, whose lips were now trailing along the sensitive shell of Esther’s ear. Though I can’t mention the identity of the main villain in Ink Blood Sister Scribe, I must mention how fantastically they too are written. Their manipulation is subtle, sugar coated with love and false affection, they hold the power of wealth, privilege and dominance over others, they orchestrate plans on a level to get exactly what they want no matter how cruel, how deceitful. They strive on other’s dependence upon them, they are a true narcissist. I did suspect them from the moment we met their character but this didn’t dampen my enjoyment in any way, I still had a lot of pleasure watching them get discovered and eventually get their comeuppance. I enjoyed this book! This was an intriguing book about family, loyalty, power and betrayal. Ink Blood Sister Scribe follows sisters Joanna and Esther who have been around magical books their whole lives and have been taught to protect the books. Esther now lives in Antartica after her mother was killed and Joanna hides away in her house in Vermont. When the sisters father dies they must come together to protect the magical books and they uncover deadly secrets that will change their lives forever. That was the most magical thing I have ever seen,” Pearl said, and rested a slender, long-fingered hand on Esther’s arm. “You wouldn’t consider giving lessons, would you?”

Ink Blood Sister Scribe ‹ Literary Hub Ink Blood Sister Scribe ‹ Literary Hub

Confesso che ho iniziato a leggere questo romanzo totalmente al buio, se non con in testa due parole chiave: biblioteca e magia. Ed è stata un'esperienza più che positiva. Magic exists, channeled through certain books. Esther’s family can sense those books: they call to them, and they’ve spent their lives collecting them and protecting them. Esther can’t hear those books, and she ran away from home years ago, chased by a warning from her now dead father. ”Wherever you are, you must leave on November 2 and keep moving for twenty-four hours, or the people who killed your mother will come for you, too." For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements—books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect. Considering it's a standalone novel, the plot was rather contained and I personally enjoyed that: I read so many Fantasy series that it made for a good change. I do think that expectations matter: if you go into it expecting a Fantasy novel with complex world-building and in-depth characterization, you might be disappointed. First, it feels more like a literary/mystery novel with magical elements than a Fantasy book. Secondly, I'm not saying that the characters are one-dimensional, because they aren't, and I did care about them, but they're still sketched in rather broad lines, and some of the relationships shifts were SO abrupt that they didn't make sense to me (*cough* what the second romance even was? Is that insta-lust or whatever? I'm too demi for that haha)(also I had another romance in mind for this specific character, ngl). The book revolves around three main perspectives (though Nicholas isn't introduced for a while). Joanna, a young woman isolated away her family's home in Vermont, has been tasked by her deceased father with tending the collection of spell books they possess/protect/study, along with maintaining the wards of their home and collection. However, she has been given strict instructions to not allow anyone else inside, including her mother. Her sister could come, but Joanna has already asked her to, and she refuses.

Emma Törzs

These two families are going to come together in unexpected ways to solve a thrilling mystery - why does Esther have to keep running? Who is killing Scribes? Twisty, dark and exciting, I loved it!