Ink Blood Sister Scribe
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By Emma Törzs
avg rating
1 review
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
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“...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.”
Emma Törzs' "Ink Blood Sister Scribe" is a thrilling first novel that had me glued to every page. The novel combines magic, mystery, and family drama in a unique and compelling way. The premise of living in a world where books have special abilities, like walking through walls or turning water into wine, is very appealing and it does not fail to deliver.
The characters in "Ink Blood Sister Scribe" are all fascinating in their own ways. The heart and soul of the story is Joanna Kalotay, who lives in a forest in a secluded part of Vermont and carefully maintains her family's collection of magical books. Her life is replete with ritual and solitude after the loss of her mother and sister, which is very well portrayed. Each night she reinstates the wards protecting the books, and it is stressful to read those lonely moments of her vigil.
Esther, Joanna's estranged sister, is the antithesis of Joanna. She is free-spirited and rebellious and her chapters feel contemporary with their breezy dialogue. Esther's narrative follows her journey to Antarctica where she finds a new lover, Pearl, and maybe even happiness, until blood spots start appearing on the mirrors. Nicholas is the third main character, a Scribe who lives in a big house in London. Nicholas is responsible for creating new magical books, a concept that I found engrossing. Nicholas's earnest tone and his sense of being both beholden to an institution and torn from his own freedoms were completely engaging.
Everything in the novel is structured around themes of isolation and the weight of legacy, and each protagonist explores these themes throughout the novel. The complexity of the relationship between Joanna and Esther felt incredibly real--with past hurts and misunderstandings serving to ground the pair. Themes of grief, duty, and sacrifice are all delved into with real depth--and I was genuinely invested in the unfolding story. The complexity of Esther and Pearl's relationship felt particularly well-done--though we also get to see examples of queer love crafted with care and sensitivity, and in a way that avoids becoming a stereotype.
Nicholas's interactions with Collins added a layer of humour to the book as well--and offer a different kind of relationship that's less fraught, that can counterbalance the darkness of the tension in the novel. And the antagonist in this novel might just be one of the most masterfully created--but I won't ruin it for you. The villain is chilling because they present a real and psychological tension--about how twisted their manipulation is under the aegis of care, and protecting those they claim to care about.
Emma Törzs has crafted a really beautiful magical world, one that seems to live in the realm of the imagination, but it also feels emotionally grounded as well. Her prose is lush and all the settings feel so vividly rendered--I wanted to fall into the book, to be there in Ink's Marketplace with its hypocritical, tirade-spewing priest, for instance. If you like fantasy, if you like irony and a light touch that highlights humour and prose, this book is for you.
