This book I picked for the title I think - it just grabbed me and I thought it would be interesting. Here's the description:
"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 . . ."

The first half of the story was kind of slow, and somewhat confusing. I have to admit to getting lost a little. I found the characters interesting and felt sorry for Nicholas. I found the second half of the book much more interesting as things started moving along at a better pace. I liked both Esther and Joanna. I loved Joanna's interaction with the cat and trying to win it over. The 'mirror magic' was good.

Thanks to William Morrow through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on May 30, 2023.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe has an intriguing premise: two half-sisters, Esther and Joanna, must reunite to save their family's legacy, a magical books collection. However, the blurb doesn't quite match the book. Yes, Esther and Joanna reunite to uncover the truth behind their family's legacy and the secrets kept from them, but the blurb fails to prepare you for Nicholas and the Library and their importance to the story.

The story is still compelling, although it takes a good bit to really get going. The use of multiple POVs is partially to blame for this, but, eventually, you reach a point where you don't want to put the book down. The author manages some great reveals that will surprise you, and the magic system is delightful.

Despite its flaws, Ink Blood Sister Scribe is still worth a read. Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc.

Books are magic. Literally. When read, they can create wonders, from opening portals through mirrors to turning bullets into bees. Joanna is the keeper of her family’s private collection of books in Vermont, unable and unwilling to leave the wards that surround the crumbling Victorian home. Her older sister Esther has vanished to the wind and now wanders around the world, never staying in one place for very long. Across the pond in England, Nicholas writes books with his blood for the mysterious Library, locked away in a grand manor estate. Yet their fates are intertwined, and the magic of the future is in peril unless they can unravel the treachery of their families.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe could have been an amazing fantasy. The atmosphere was there, and the writing was excellent. The author mastered hiding small details that caused the story to click into place at the end, and there was certainly an “Aha!” movement. I’ve always loved books about books, so reading a story that quietly literally surrounded the magic of books sounded perfect. But the novel failed in a crucial way: pacing. The plot didn’t get started until over halfway through, and there were times when I seriously considered DNFing. So much of the story was consumed with setting up the story that the narrative wasn’t engaging, and it was easy to zone out while reading. The first hundred pages were almost exclusively unnecessary exposition that could’ve been covered in half that space, and until the plotlines intersect 75% of the way into the story, it’s unclear as to why the reader should care about any of the characters.

That being said, the writer did an excellent job setting up distinct characters. Esther and Joanna were very different, and when I flipped to a random page, I could tell whose perspective I was reading from the sentence structure alone.Their relationship was interesting but didn’t receive the space it needed to expand into something more. Nicholas (who wasn’t mentioned at all in the synopsis) was arguably the most interesting character, and I would have rather read the book entirely from his perspective. The narrative didn’t gain much by having three points of view.

After the 200-page mark, Ink Blood Sister Scribe got interesting. I loved the second half of the story; the pacing issues were resolved and all the monotonous set-up vanished in favor of actual action. I’m the first to admit that I don’t gravitate toward books that try to be literary, but I think Ink Blood Sister Scribe did a decent job of toeing the line between eloquent and pretentious. The first half of the novel deserved two stars but the second earned four, so I’ve settled on three. I would read the author’s future novels, assuming, of course, that she works out the pacing issue.

3.5/5

When this book started out, I wasn't quite sure it was going to be my vibe but I decided to stick it out for a couple of chapters and see if it would change my mind. And I'm not mad that I did.
The plot takes a while to come together - there's some world-building, setting things up in different POVs & the reader having to try and piece together a larger plot for themselves in the first half - which I don't necessarily mind but it can get tedious if you're not in the right mood for it is all. I did realize as I was reading that the book is split into parts which was kind of helpful, though the placement could've been a bit better??

Once it really kicked off (about 1/3, 1/2 of the way through) it got much more intriguing, and the pace picked up considerably. The story incorporated lush, descriptive language throughout, which was beautifully done & though some of the physical gore-leaning imagery was a bit much for my taste, it made sense in its placement and wasn't so bad that it detracted from the story overall.
The way the magic system was set up in this world was also pretty cool, not super typical which freshened things up a bit; and there was sort of an underlying exploration of the impact of power on varying types of relationships which I found really interesting.
I also found that while the characters were a bit grating on their own, they really shone as they coalesced into a strangely adorable crew :)

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

Joanna and her sister haven't seen each other in 10 years, not since Esther left in the middle of the night with no goodbyes and no explanations. Esther has spent the last 10 years moving constantly, while Joanna has stayed at home, guarding their precious collection of magic books. Even after the death of their father, Esther doesn't return home. Now in Antarctica, Esther has finally found someone worth staying for and has decided to stop running moving. When she finds blood on the mirrors, she realizes that was a mistake and knows she has put herself, her sister, and the family's collection at risk.

The stories of Joanna and Esther slowly unfold, mixed in with that of Nicholas, the last living Scribe, a person immune to magic's effects, but capable of writing magic books. All three stories are compelling and believable and, although the reader begins to care about each character, we have no idea who we can trust and who is keeping secrets. This book is just cryptic enough to keep you reading past bedtime, but not so twisty as to lose credibility. It was a new twist on magic and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital copy of the book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

A great fantasy read for book lovers. The story magic and sister bond is very realistic and compelling. A pretty cozy fantasy. The mystery of the book magic was also pretty compelling and pulled me along.

An absolutely stunning debut. The characters in particular are well-drawn and compelling. It's rare that I enjoy every point-of-view character but I did in this book. The protagonists feel distinct from each other but equally well-developed and interesting.
The plot unfolds through a masterful series of reveals as the foreshadowed pieces all begin clicking satisfyingly into place.
My only regret was that there isn't already a sequel. I wanted to spend more time with the world and the characters. I will be buying this book for my personal collection as soon as possible so I can read it again!

"Ink Blood Sister Scribe" by Emma Torzs brings in magic books, travel and excitement. It focuses on two sisters, Joanna and Esther, who have to come together to figure out mysteries that have plagued their family with dire consequences.

While reading this on the kindle, I found the first 10% a bit tough to get through, but I am glad that I continued on because then the book really became interesting. The various perspectives intertwined in a neat way. It really picked up the pace the last 20%, to the point that I was worried there would be a cliffhanger. Luckily, while not every thread was closed up, there was a satisfying conclusion.

As an archivist, my only qualm was the use of cotton gloves to hold the books! We don't do this in general - just freshly washed hands like Joanna does. Gloves can get caught on fragile books. There might be a reason in the book for handling with gloves, but I would suggest Nitrile gloves rather than cotton.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an eARC of Ink Blood Sister Scribe!

One of the most fantastic new anticipated releases I have read this year! The characters were incredibly interesting and I really enjoyed the diverse personalities. Incredible world and magic system. The writing style of the author brilliantly encapsulates an eerie atmosphere. The twists, the turns, THE TENSION! Everything about this book is 10/10.

This book destroyed me, it’s so engaging and so well written. I’m in love with this book and so grateful and happy I got to read the arc. I 100% will be buying a physical copy of it when I can! It usually takes me about a week to finish a book but I could not put this one down!

I loved it! This is a thoroughly engrossing, atmospheric book with a fantastic magic system. It has been a long time since I have been so engaged and I really didn't want this one to end. Emma Törzs has done a fantastic job with this book and I really hope there's a sequel. But, if not, I'll read whatever she writes next.

I read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I also am in support of the Harper Collins Union strike and a tentative agreement was reached so I feel I can finally release my reviews. This book started slow— the mystery and atmospheric magic created a tension for me as a reader that almost went on too long. But then, at the 20% mark on my kindle everything changed. Without spoilers, all I can say is stick with it. If you liked “The Once And Future Witches” by Alix Harrow, this is very similar. This definitely could have been two books but I sort of appreciate that the arc was one book because fantasy/magic books are so rarily one offs. The door was left open slightly for a return which would be really fun. Or a prequel would be Incredible! The magic system is too cool for just one book! Content warnings: torture, death of a parent

This is a fantastic story! Well-written and immediately evocative, the reader is dropped right into the story world. The premise -- archivists protecting magic books written in blood -- is unique and creative, and I was so pleased to discover that the narrative lives up to it.

The different points of view are engaging and easy to keep straight. The author does a great job at making us care about each character. Even the side characters are complex and fully-formed.

The magic blends seamlessly into the somewhat contemporary "real world" setting.

My only quibble is that at times the author stops the action to explain something. Thankfully this doesn't happen very often.

Overall, this is amazingly entertaining, and I'm sure it will be a big success!

Very much enjoyed this world and the way magic works in it. The twist(s) at the are great! Enjoyed. Will recommend to my fellow magic and book lovers.

Right from the get-go, I was sucked into this dark academia page-turner. Archivists protecting magic books written in blood? Fantastic concept! I was completely immersed and absolutely loved the story.

I usually don't like fantasy set in the modern era but didn't even think about it here. The magic blended seamlessly into a somewhat normal setting - it seemed natural.
My favorite aspect of this book was the characters!! I love them all, and even the side characters are rich and complex. For perhaps the first time, each POV was my favorite as I was reading it. There wasn't ever a section I wanted to speed through to get back to a character I cared about more.

I wish this was book was ten times longer, and I was a bit devastated to finish it. I can't wait for the next installment - I will be thrilled to preorder it the second it's announced.

I am sure this book will be absolutely huge!

Amazing debut novel filled with magic, mystery and suspense. The characters are wonderfully diverse with flawed characters and morally grey attributes. The story itself is dark and enchanting and will leave you guessing the entire way through. It starts somewhat slow as the author delicately builds the world, but oh my, once it starts to open up, it is such a fun ride.

Thank you NetGalley and Marrow Williams for allowing me to read this ARC ahead of release date. I really enjoyed this book, it had characters I felt invested in, and a consistent, nice pace. Very interested in reading more of this authors work!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Marrow Williams for allowing me to read this ARC!

This was an absolute adventure from start to finish! The characters were well written, the plot was engaging and the magic system was well done! Emma Törzs is an author I will be eagerly waiting to see what is next! This book has the adventure and magic that just transports you into the world and makes you want to stay and find out what happens next!