This is a mystery about books, magic,  estranged family and intergenerational tension.

The book has a strong start with this tensions and threats looming over one estranged sister. This book has multiple POVs but, I find Esther’s storyline to be the most compelling.

There is a romance subplot that feels a bit insta-love.

The build up to the climax was fantastic but, the resolution was rushed and felt very “tell not show”. One chapter just has a character explain all the mystery in one go. I wished there was a bit more discovery and slowly unravelling of the mystery.

Trigger warning: Lots and lots of bloodletting 

<u>Ink Blood Sister Scribe</u> is an excellent debut, made even better because it’s a standalone novel, which is delightful rarity these days.

The plot follows two estranged sisters. One, Joanna, has been entrusted with the care of her family’s collection of magical spell books. She can’t leave her crumbling home lest she not be able to set the protective wards each night and the people who murdered her older sister’s mother come and take their books. Said older sister, Esther, is in Antarctica and has been told that her immunity to magic would have endangered their wards and she must move every year lest she be tracked down and murdered, like her mother. Separated by time, secrets, and distance, Esther decides to stay longer at her current location, flouting the warning, to remain with her current girlfriend. And then the danger and plot begins to ultimately reunite the sisters. 

There’s a third character, Nicholas, who can make these magic books and who is kept sheltered and cloistered within a vast library, whose number of magical tomes puts Joanna’s to shame. And how does one write these Books? Blood, naturally. 

All three of these characters (as well as Nicholas’s body guard Collins) are ultimately brought together for reasons (spoiler free here). Nicholas is introduced a bit later than the sisters, but through his experience, we start to get some answers to the many mysteries that plague the girls. 

I really enjoyed all the aspects herein. It was engaging and complex. The writing was lovely as well. The characters were complicated and dynamic. I loved what a terrible snob Nicholas was, so accurately depicted for his utter privileged entitlement but compounded by his sheltered upbringing and, well, grooming. 

I also loved the themes about monopolies, the hoarding of information as power. Basically, this delivered what <u>The Atlas Six</u> promised, except with actual plot, character development, quality writing versus relying entirely on sexual tension and vibes. (There are a couple romances, but they are very minor subplots, and I liked them all the better because of it.)

I look forward to whatever comes next from this author. 

A fantastic magical thriller that I couldn’t put down! More twists and turns than a twisty turny thing, and it all came together so beautifully at the end. Despite all that, it’s also a cozy story about family and connection. Delightful! 

I loved that it reminded me of my fantasy book phase which i had as a child. Reading this felt like a cozy hug while simultaneously not being childish or not exciting enough.

A fun read. Very easy to listen to. It over-explains itself quite a bit which affected the mystery/suspense aspect. Overall, I would definitely recommend it.