Emma Törzs

A Novel

Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Beth Bartholomew

Spanish should have been her mother tongue, but Isabel had died when Esther was too young for language, and so it was only her mother's tongue.

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.
All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries.

I want 10 more chapters about my new lovely little found family. Brilliant!

Laoise Giblin

I enjoyed this book! It had interesting world building and characters! I liked the representation in the book and felt that it did a good job at representing unique perspectives compared to other fantasy books. I listened to it as an audiobook, so there were some moments where I think the concepts would've been better understood if I was reading the physical book. Overall, it had good dialogue and humor, which is important to me as a reader!

Paige Leitner

What a beautiful story to usher in autumn - magical, dark, compelling and also touching. A really good story that kept on surprising me. 

Giulia

I feel like I have written this about at least twenty books this year but: great and interesting idea and setup but the execution felt boring and even a little tedious; and when will novels that are classed as adult stop sounding like young adult ones (surely both prose and characterisation should feel more sophisticated and, to put it simply, grown up)?

I really, really loved the ideas. I loved the barebones of the character archetypes too. But oh my god, was there much left to be desired. This was awkwardly paced and plotted out and some of the reveals felt cheap and unrewarding.

I feel like I have written this about at least twenty books this year but: great and interesting idea and setup but the execution felt boring and even a little tedious; and when will novels that are classed as adult stop sounding like young adult ones (surely both prose and characterisation should feel more sophisticated and, to put it simply, grown up)?

I really, really loved the ideas. I loved the barebones of the character archetypes too. But oh my god, was there much left to be desired. This was awkwardly paced and plotted out and some of the reveals felt cheap and unrewarding.

there is just something really fantastic about this book, i don’t think i expected anything but a fun little magic situation but WOW. 

probably one of my favorite reads of the year.

Cici Pearson

there is just something really fantastic about this book, i don’t think i expected anything but a fun little magic situation but WOW. 

probably one of my favorite reads of the year.

Megan

I had pretty much no expectations going into this book, and I was BLOWN AWAY. This book was so much fun. I am a huge huge huge fan of fantasy and magic that takes place in the real world. Plus, the unwinding mystery of this story was just too good. I never wanted to put this book down. 

I would give this book five stars (right now it sits at a very nice 4.5, but I think the end of the book was kind of bland. After the plot concludes, there's a *lot* of resolution. I was already so satisfied with the conclusion of the main plot that the last chapter or so kind of felt like overkill. The characters definitely deserved their wrap-up, but I don't think it needed to be in as much detail as it was. 

Otherwise, the characters were complex and interesting and each storyline was super fun to follow to the end.

This book is so beautifully written. At first I found the book to be slow, and maybe a bit over the top with descriptive imagery. But I quickly came to love how the author paints such vivid pictures. The book picks up its pace and has some twists I didn’t see coming. I adored how connected you feel to each character. This was a sweet, magical novel. 

Lovely sister relationship, WLW rep, magic books

Sophia 

This book is so beautifully written. At first I found the book to be slow, and maybe a bit over the top with descriptive imagery. But I quickly came to love how the author paints such vivid pictures. The book picks up its pace and has some twists I didn’t see coming. I adored how connected you feel to each character. This was a sweet, magical novel. 

Lovely sister relationship, WLW rep, magic books

a new favourite - captivating, human, magical, mysterious intimate and gorgeously written, with a thoughtful love for words and the ways they can negotiate power (and also casually sapphic!)

definitely fantasy but it has a strong sense of contemporary mystery/thriller at parts too; the more literary/grounded fantasy books are really hitting my brain these days

HOLY HELL. the twists and turns. the stakes. the relationships. i laughed, i cried. brilliant example of how to use multi pov to unravel information. the definition of a page turner. and more than being a fantasy thriller, at the heart of it all, it's a story of love and loneliness and found family. if i could rate it 10 stars i would.

Samantha 

Mel 

Once you get past the first 100 pages, this is really good

🦇 Ink Blood Sister Scribe Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's the most valuable (to you, not monetarily) book in your collection? ❓

🦇 Two estranged half-sisters guard their family's library of magical books, all while staying continents apart. Working together, Joanna and Esther Kalotay unravel the deadly secret that led to their father's demise. The ancient and rare books he collected aren't simply page and ink. They're true page--books with the power to manipulate the elements, bend realty, or cater the world to a person's bidding. The world of magic contained in these books is far more dangerous than they ever imaged. Can they unlock the secrets their parents have long kept hidden...and perhaps uncover a true magical library in the process?

💜 Okay, so...WOAH. I think, perhaps, this was the strongest, most powerful debut I've read (maybe ever) -- and I've read a library's worth of debuts. It's no wonder this book was nominated for not one, but two Goodreads Choice Awards (Best Fantasy and Best Debut). To be honest, I sat on this review longer than intended; I'm struggling to find my words here. The prose is enthralling, as magical as the books mentioned within. Törzs has seamlessly bound thriller, dark academia, and fantasy together with a raw, realistic cast of characters. The cryptic plot and half-explained world (as the Kalotay sisters barely understand it all themselves) ensnares you from the first page. This book is spellbinding, almost dizzying; a dozen little secrets, waiting to be revealed. The story itself is multilayered but still woven with care; no one element or point of view eclipses the other. 

💜 There are familiar fairytale elements that make the story's magic easier to perceive (magic mirrors, a quest, absent parents, a secretive wicked stepmother). Instead of witches and magic wands, the story relies on a powerful source we have in the real world: WORDS. The mythology is careful and precise, and though much of it remains secretive at first, each piece is eventually revealed. The writing style is contemporary, easy to understand, yet the voice is uniquely Törzs' in a way that makes me eager for her next book. There are many themes to explore, too; found family, isolation, the power of books. Törzs took the metaphor "the pen is mightier than the sword" literally, demonstrating there's magic and power all around us. I'll enjoy escaping into this world once more. Added bonus: a sapphic ship and well-executed disability representation. 

🦇 Stepping into this world is a little jarring at first. While everything is eventually revealed, you have to let the story carry you for a few chapters before you gain your footing. This is a book that's definitely more enjoyable the second time around. I do think you need to read this book at the right time (I wasn't completely in the right headspace when I started, not that I'll allow that to impact my review). 

🦇 I'm afraid to say that the Big Bad and major reveal were obvious, though perhaps they were intended to be. The story isn't about defeating a monster as much as it's about the connections made during that journey. The found family (and, for the sisters, reunited) vibes of this story hold its true power.

🦇 Recommended for fans of The Night Circus.

❝ The path provides the natural next step. ❞

❝ I always thought it suggested, on some palindromic level, that it’s the steps themselves that make a path, instead of the other way round. We are creating even as we believe we are following. ❞

❝ “The Library holds power,” said Maram. “And power is always a reflection of the world that has created it, regardless of intention.” ❞

Jazelle H

🦇 Ink Blood Sister Scribe Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's the most valuable (to you, not monetarily) book in your collection? ❓
 
🦇 Two estranged half-sisters guard their family's library of magical books, all while staying continents apart. Working together, Joanna and Esther Kalotay unravel the deadly secret that led to their father's demise. The ancient and rare books he collected aren't simply page and ink. They're true page--books with the power to manipulate the elements, bend realty, or cater the world to a person's bidding. The world of magic contained in these books is far more dangerous than they ever imaged. Can they unlock the secrets their parents have long kept hidden...and perhaps uncover a true magical library in the process?

💜 Okay, so...WOAH. I think, perhaps, this was the strongest, most powerful debut I've read (maybe ever) -- and I've read a library's worth of debuts. It's no wonder this book was nominated for not one, but two Goodreads Choice Awards (Best Fantasy and Best Debut). To be honest, I sat on this review longer than intended; I'm struggling to find my words here. The prose is enthralling, as magical as the books mentioned within. Törzs has seamlessly bound thriller, dark academia, and fantasy together with a raw, realistic cast of characters. The cryptic plot and half-explained world (as the Kalotay sisters barely understand it all themselves) ensnares you from the first page. This book is spellbinding, almost dizzying; a dozen little secrets, waiting to be revealed. The story itself is multilayered but still woven with care; no one element or point of view eclipses the other. 

💜 There are familiar fairytale elements that make the story's magic easier to perceive (magic mirrors, a quest, absent parents, a secretive wicked stepmother). Instead of witches and magic wands, the story relies on a powerful source we have in the real world: WORDS. The mythology is careful and precise, and though much of it remains secretive at first, each piece is eventually revealed. The writing style is contemporary, easy to understand, yet the voice is uniquely Törzs' in a way that makes me eager for her next book. There are many themes to explore, too; found family, isolation, the power of books. Törzs took the metaphor "the pen is mightier than the sword" literally, demonstrating there's magic and power all around us. I'll enjoy escaping into this world once more. Added bonus: a sapphic ship and well-executed disability representation. 

🦇 Stepping into this world is a little jarring at first. While everything is eventually revealed, you have to let the story carry you for a few chapters before you gain your footing. This is a book that's definitely more enjoyable the second time around. I do think you need to read this book at the right time (I wasn't completely in the right headspace when I started, not that I'll allow that to impact my review). 

🦇 I'm afraid to say that the Big Bad and major reveal were obvious, though perhaps they were intended to be. The story isn't about defeating a monster as much as it's about the connections made during that journey. The found family (and, for the sisters, reunited) vibes of this story hold its true power.

🦇 Recommended for fans of The Night Circus.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🩸 Debut
📚 Magical Books
🩸 Sisterhood / Family Secrets
📚 Multiple POVs
🩸 Murder Mystery
📚 Slow Burn Romance
🩸 Dark Academia -esque
📚 Magical Realism 

💬 Quotes
❝ The path provides the natural next step. ❞
❝ I always thought it suggested, on some palindromic level, that it’s the steps themselves that make a path, instead of the other way round. We are creating even as we believe we are following. ❞
❝ “The Library holds power,” said Maram. “And power is always a reflection of the world that has created it, regardless of intention.” ❞

Jessie Farris

Lovely take on magic and bonds. Couldn’t put it down.

This was fantastic for a stand-alone fantasy read. It had me on the edge of my seat and the writing itself was beautiful. 

Alissa 

A mysterious, magic-filled story about magical blood, enchanted books, and curses and spells! I wish that I had read this book so much earlier and don’t know why I waited. I love all four of the main characters in this book and all three POVs that the story is told through. 

Even though I loved this book, I’m struggling to write a review without giving anything away! Definitely recommend for people who love  fantasies with a dash of mystery and a uniquely loveable cast of characters. 

The narrator of the audiobook is also phenomenal-her accents and all her characters are perfectly on point. I cannot recommend enough! 

Tace

A mysterious, magic-filled story about magical blood, enchanted books, and curses and spells! I wish that I had read this book so much earlier and don’t know why I waited. I love all four of the main characters in this book and all three POVs that the story is told through. 

Even though I loved this book, I’m struggling to write a review without giving anything away! Definitely recommend for people who love  fantasies with a dash of mystery and a uniquely loveable cast of characters. 

The narrator of the audiobook is also phenomenal-her accents and all her characters are perfectly on point. I cannot recommend enough! 

I loved this fun twist on blood magic, spells, bookish babes, and global covens. Read it so fast even though it was long. I’d love a sequel!

Amelia

this was such a quick and enthralling read. one of the best lores in any fantasy universe. i liked the writing and the characters as well. it blended dry humour with emotion excellently. i would, however, say that the pacing for the ending was off. it dragged on in terms of page count, but also was too quick in terms of actual things happening for the amount of buildup. just a lot of info dumping towards the end. but was cute, 3.75 ☆.

I read it while very exhausted and that was the perfect story: easy reading, not too dark, no excess drama, not cheesy, a bit of magic, good plot, so well balanced all in all. 

Barbara

Suspenseful and voicy! Part action thriller, part magical realism, part dark academia! 

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