I wouldn’t have picked up this book based on its title alone. The puerile simplicity of Ink Blood Sister Scribe belies the complex interplay of dynamic character perspectives at the heart of this novel. Though quickly ensnared by the storytelling – and a darkly magical world reminiscent of Inkheart and Practical Magic – I found that the prose vacillated from elegant and effective to synesthetic, bordering on purple. Still, the satisfaction gleaned from the story’s tendrils weaving together was well worth the obsessive three-week march. Grossly intoxicating, darkly enchanting, and beautifully complex, Ink Blood Sister Scribe is proof that you should listen to librarians’ recommendations. Always.