Ink Blood Sister Scribe: The Sunday Times bestselling edge-of-your-seat fantasy thriller

by Emma Törzs

Not all books should be opened. In this thrilling fantasy debut, meet the family tasked with guarding a trove of magical but deadly books, and the shadowy organisation that will do anything to get them back.

* The instant Sunday Times bestseller *
* Good Morning America's June book club pick *
* Apple Book of the Year in Audio *

'A bold, new novel from an extraordinary new voice.' Marlon James
'Simply a delight from start to finish.' New York Times
'A spectacularly spellbinding debut.' The Fantasy Hive
'A magnificent debut.' The Bookseller
'A delight from start to finish.' Chloe Benjamin
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Joanna Kalotay lives alone in the woods of Vermont, the sole protector of a collection of rare books; books that will allow someone to walk through walls or turn water into wine. Books of magic.

Her estranged older sister Esther moves between countries and jobs, constantly changing, never staying anywhere longer than a year, desperate to avoid the deadly magic that killed her mother. Currently working on a research base in Antarctica, she has found love and perhaps a sort of happiness.

But when she finds spots of blood on the mirrors in the research base, she knows someone is coming for her, and that Joanna and her collection are in danger.

If they are to survive, she and Joanna must unravel the secrets their parents kept hidden from them - secrets that span centuries and continents, and could cost them their lives ...

* New York Times Notable Book for 2023 *
* Best Book of 2023 by NPR! *
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Readers can't get enough of Ink Blood Sister Scribe . . .

***** 'THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME AND MADE ME LOSE FEELING IN MY HANDS WITH HOW ANXIOUS IT MADE ME FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS BEST 2023 RELEASE BY A THOUSAND MILES'
***** 'Amazing!! Couldn't put it down.'
***** 'This has be one of the most enjoyable fantasies I've read in a long time.'
***** 'Dark and gripping, magic books written in blood, a shedload of mystery and intrigue, I loved it!'
***** 'Absolutely brilliant!'
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'A fantastic magical adventure, not to be missed.' Kirkus Starred Review
'No boxes go unticked in this fabulous page-turner, a searing debut about two sisters with very different powers.' Daily Mail
'This debut novel is an absolute delight, weaving a convincing occult underground into real-world settings.' Guardian
'Downright irresistible' Washington Post
'Spellbinding... This is a must-read.' Publishers Weekly
'A twisty and thrilling fantasy.' Kelly Link, Get in Trouble
'An adventure, a puzzle, a twisty thriller, and a tender romance.' Alix E Harrow, The Once And Future Witches
'Chilling and charming ... Törz's debut is a love letter to stories everywhere.' Roshani Chokshi, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
'A magical book, brimming with all the elements that make a story sing ... A gorgeously satisfying read.' Lesley Nneka Arimah, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky

Sunday Times bestseller, July 2023

• ISBN10: 1529136350
• ISBN13: 9781529136357
• Publish Date: 6 July 2023 (first published 30 May 2023)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 31 July 2024
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Cornerstone
• Imprint: Century
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

The Kalotay family is falling apart. One sister, Esther, fled her home and hasn't been home in over a decade. She moves to a new location every year, almost like she is running from something. This year is different – she's made it to the isolation of Antarctica, and that should be safe enough, right?

Then there's the other sister, Joanna. Her world has become quite small. She hardly ever leaves the family home and instead spends all her time tending to the family books. The very same books her family has dedicated their lives to protecting.

My Review:

I so badly wanted to fall head over heels for Ink Blood Sister Scribe. While I certainly didn't hate it, I didn't fall in love with it as I had hoped. The magical world is compelling, but I never really connected with any characters.

My biggest problem with the story is that none of the primary characters have any real agency in their story. They're all reacting to the world or running around on the orders/advice of one person. Esther went on the run because her dad told her to. Joanna stays locked away at home, not even letting her mother in, again because her father told her told. And Nicholas doesn't really have any agency either if we're being honest.

Oh, who's Nicholas? He's the surprise third perspective of this book. He's not mentioned in the description for some reason. His story also arrives too late in the book for my liking. Didn't give us enough time to get to know him, you know?

All things said and done; Ink Blood Sister Scribe was an okay read. Not my favorite, but not bad.

Highlights:
Urban Fantasy
Magical Books
LGBT+

Trigger Warnings:
Blood
Stalking

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