Ink Blood Sister Scribe: A Novel

By Emma Törzs

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 . . .

 

In the great tradition of Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric novel that draws readers into a vast world filled with mystery and magic, romance, and intrigue—and marks the debut of an extraordinary new voice in speculative fiction.

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Published May 30, 2023

416 pages

Average rating: 7.35

331 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

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Readers say *Ink Blood Sister Scribe* offers rich world-building and a detailed, captivating blood magic system that some find initially complex due t...

KaraBrown
8/10 stars
Unique concept, interesting and captivating writing.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you like magical realism.
Dhruti
6/10 stars
The first half of the book is pretty slow, but it picks up at the end. I did find the magic explanations a little confusing to understand at the beginning, but I think that's because information was deliberately kept from the reader, so as not to spoil things later.
NinjaNeo
8/10 stars
This had the feel of a magical mystery and had me guessing the entire time. However it was almost a DNF in the beginning since the first 1/3 of the story was building the family / relationship dynamics. The 2nd half of the book really picked up and I enjoyed the plot & reveal, it was a very unique magic system!
Ally Sager
6/10 stars
I wish I liked this book more. I was bored for most of it, and even when it did pick up, it fell flat for me. I did enjoy the unique magic and how books were central to the system.
misha belden
6/10 stars
3.5 this was a fun story, but a little predictable.

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