Emma Torzs is a Fantasy author from the US and is a teacher, writer, and translator. Emma has written short stories that have been published but Ink Blood Sister Scribe is her debut novel.
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 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 . . .
I love books that are based around books or libraries so I was happy when this book was chosen for the Waterstones fantasy book club. I started this book and from the beginning, the magic and the mystery pulled me in. Books that can make you walk through walls, change water to wine, and magic mirrors. They are also sought after and can be very dangerous.
The story starts with Esther and Joanna’s father being killed by one of the magic books, you are instantly pulled into the mystery. The story follows three main pov’s, Joanna who is left alone to protect her family’s library of magical books, her mother is not allowed in the house and her sister left. Magic wards hide the house from everyone so she leads a very lonely life. You find yourself feeling for Joanna who has been left with this massive responsibility and misses her family, the only contact she enjoys is trying to coax a stray cat into coming into her house. Meanwhile, Esther who is living in the Antarctic has reached a time when she would normally have to move on like she does every year running from something. As we follow along with Esther we find out more about her and why she is on the run, a strong character I really liked her as well she seems to be the opposite of her sister. Esther has met Pearl while working in the Antarctic and feels that she is worth breaking the routine that her father instilled in her when she left home at 18. This is where things really kick off when someone starts to hunt her. The final pov character is Nicholas, a spoiled rich boy, living in a mansion which also has a library of magic books. He is a Scribe and writes magic books for the mysterious Library organisation. His world is also turned upside down when he learns more about his mysterious uncle Richard and his own past. His Bodyguard Collins was a great addition and I really liked their interactions.
Each of the characters has their own path that we go through with them which weave together as we go through the story, as the story moves on you can see these plots come together for the climax, it s very engaging and each of the stories complements each other. Torzs writing flows really well and the pace was steady pulling you along to the climax. Although there is a little romantic element the main thing that makes this book good is the relationships between the characters, they are complex and keep you rooting for all three of them.
I really enjoyed this book and if you like Urban Fantasy and of course magic books then you will love It too.
You can purchase Ink Blood Sister Scibe from your local Bookshop supporting indie bookshops is important and something I am very in favor of. I like nothing more than to browse physical books. Or if you want you can shop at your local Waterstones, or online at Amazon
