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!