BookBrowse Reviews Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

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Sisters Esther and Joanna wrestle with hereditary magic accessed through books and discover a new world of relics, mystical libraries and struggle for the power of immortality.

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Emma Törzs's debut novel, Ink Blood Sister Scribe, is the kind of book that reminds me why I love the fantasy genre. I was especially drawn to the family at the center of the story: half-sisters Esther and Joanna, their late father Abe, and Joanna's mother (and Esther's stepmother) Cecily. While their forays into a world of magical books are fascinating and form the overall structure of the story, I was just as enthralled by their interpersonal relationships, particularly in terms of how the sisters reflect on their childhood and the ways in which the isolation that comes with magic has shaped them. Ink Blood Sister Scribe offers both the stomach-dropping roller coaster feeling of a thriller with the nostalgia of a domestic novel. It is, in short, a must-read for anyone who loves stories about magic — and for everyone who knows that stories are magic.

Törzs develops a world that feels so real and lived-in that a reader could just slip into the pages. In this world, those with access to magical texts can read aloud from them to cast a spell; very rarely, someone called a "Scribe" is born who can actually write these texts. The paper, binding and most especially the ink imbue the books with spells that can do anything from calming wild animals to creating immortality. Though the rules of magic are mostly unwritten, the story begins with Esther breaking one that has been emphasized to her throughout her youth: For some reason that her father would not share with her, she has to move once a year, never staying in one place longer than that. When she disobeys the rule for the first time, she realizes that her life and the lives of those she loves are in danger, because someone is following her movements and is eager to track her down. Something about Esther, Joanna and their connection is special — special enough that a mysterious entity seeks them out.

From a lonely kitchen in Vermont with broken tile to a sterile, frigid research base in Antarctica to a lush country estate that seems straight out of Downton Abbey, Törzs's command of description and setting is simply superb. Similarly, her detailed descriptions of her characters and their actions paint a perfectly clear picture page after page. I won't be surprised at all if Ink Blood Sister Scribe ends up with a movie or miniseries deal. The recurring image of bullets as bees is particularly evocative and memorable, and the snappy dialogue would play out wonderfully on-screen. Törzs also incorporates diverse perspectives in an unstilted, natural way. I was especially touched by a queer romance addressed directly and explicitly from the beginning.

In Ink Blood Sister Scribe, magic flows through some families like blood, and the worldbuilding perfectly exemplifies that concept by making blood necessary for ritual spellwork. Descriptions of the ink-making process, from selecting the herbal components to drawing large quantities of blood to infusing the ink with magic, range from heart-wrenchingly intimate to chillingly clinical. Although some things stay behind the magician's curtain, the system of magic is well developed and explained overall. I particularly appreciated the alchemical, somatic roots of supernatural abilities paired with a self-referential, books-about-books emphasis on the importance of the written word.

Törzs's management of pace and plot is also impressive, and is supplemented by the multiplicity of stories and protagonists that only officially converge halfway through the book. The first half of the novel creeps along in comparison to the latter half, but this works in its favor as Törzs lulls her reader into a sort of anxious complacency, the feeling that something is wrong without it being clear quite what that something is. As soon as the action drops, though, the plot rockets along with twists that quite literally made me gasp and put the book down for a few moments to bask in the full-body shiver that accompanies a really great thriller. My only complaint in terms of pacing is that I wish the heroes would have connected earlier; the group that forms by the end is a really fun, interesting one, and several characters can only divulge their backstory in a somewhat rushed manner.

Overall, Ink Blood Sister Scribe takes the prize for my favorite book so far this year. Even knowing the twists and the conclusion, I would like to read it again. Whether or not she returns to this universe in future work, I can't wait to see what else Emma Törzs has in store. Her first novel is sure to remind many readers of just why they love stories about magic, and for that I commend her.

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in June 2023, and has been updated for the July 2024 edition. Click here to go to this issue.