#Ink Blood SIster Scribe

[freckles-and-books]

Been slumping hard this past month. I hope this is the book to turn things around.

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Come on, autumn, I’m ready for you 🍂👻💜

[theinquisitxor]

September Reading Wrap Up

I read six books in September, and managed to get through most of what I wanted to read. I read 3 fantasy, 1 sci-fi, 1 nonfiction, and 1 historical fiction. I feel like reading ~6 books per month might be my new normal. I used to read 8-9 books a month, but I don't really see that happening anymore unfortunately.

1.Before They Are Hanged (First Law #2) by Joe Abercrombie, 3/5 stars. I liked book 2 a little bit more than book 1, and felt like this book had a better plot and development than the first book. I still can't say that I really enjoy this series, but I'm committed to see how it ends. The Glokta chapters are really the only chapters I enjoy. Adult Fantasy.

2.A Desolation Called Peace (Texicalaan 2) by Arkady Martine, 5/5 stars. This is the sequel to A Memory Called Empire and while we follow the same characters from book 1, this is in a new setting. I think the duology is excellent, and this will probably be in my top books of the year. Science Fiction.

3.Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save The World by Tyson Yunkaporta. This was my nonfiction for the month, and I read it via audiobook. I enjoyed listening to it, and also enjoyed that that audiobook was narrated by the author.

4. Paladin's Strength (Saint of Steel 2) by T Kingfisher, 4/5 stars. I had a lot of fun with this book, and I think this series could be a new favorite. Paladin's Grace is still my favorite (I like the tropes better) but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Adult Fantasy

5. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs, 4/5 stars. I was really impressed by the novel for being a debut. I was fully hooked on the story and really enjoyed this novel overall. I had a few issues with pacing and the one romance at the end, but I'll be interested in anything else Torzs writes. Fantasy

6. The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova, 4/5 stars. This is a historical fiction set in Bulgaria, alternating between times/characters. I love how Kostova makes you feel so immersed and present in the setting. This book explores Bulgaria's history after ww2, through a violinist and his troubled past. This book has been on my tbr since 2018, so I was happy to finally read it. Historical Fiction.

Overall, I'm happy with what I read in September, and I'm looking forward to finishing/continuing some of the series I've been reading in October.

The October TBR:

The Last Argument of Kings (First Law 3) by Joe Abercrombie-- I just want to finish this one and wrap up the series

Son of the Shadows (sevenwaters 2) by Juliet Marillier-- I wanted to read this in Sept, but didn't get to it

Paladin's Hope (Saint of Steel 3) by T Kingfisher-- Excited for this one!

Witch Week (Chrestomanci 3) by Diana Wynne Jones-- this will be an audiobook for the month, and I think it will be a good Oct read

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher -- I want to read her newest release asap

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Brodsky Smith-- This was my Random TBR Pick for the month, so I want to try and get to this

Other possibilites include: Echo North, I Who Have Never Known Men, The Swan Thieves

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2023 📖 no. 099

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

“All the books were written in blood.”

[storkmuffin]

Finished Ink Blood Sister Scribe and had what might be my first experience that's analogous to aroace people feeling repulsed by the thought of romance and sexuality. Because it happens in this book! But more on that later.

I've already said that I like the genderflips that the author has decided to make. It's a boy with magic blood being exploited and trapped inside a gothic mansion as an adventurous girl who can't stay anywhere more than 364 days or be truly intimate with anyone travels the world, having scary adventures, all the way to antarctica. He's very fussy about shoes and cashmeres and cologne and is very sheltered. She's an electrician who can get a job at a base in Antartica. And so on.

This fantasy novel is a cobbling together of all the stuff that's been in this author's childhood popular culture, given her birth year (1987). -

There are two sisters of differing magical / powers who are separated by lies told to protect them by their parents and long for each other (Do you want to build a snow man?)

There's an evil type of book that drains people of blood (HP's Monster Book of Monsters with the PG 13 rating taken off).

There's the one legal instrument firmly embedded in the long term memories of all daughters of E.L.James (It's a silencing spell, that's all it is, but everyone calls it an N.D.A).

There's mirror portals (Alice in Wonderland, The Matrix, Dr. Norris and Mr Strange).

Both the male and female protagonists are bisexual (Ao3).

The boy keeps fainting (hot frail boys are hot) while the girl knows a bunch of martial arts (girlboss etc).

One of the most powerful ways of being magical is to be completely immune to magic (Hi Bella Swan, is that you?).

There are name drops of random singers that signify what kind of cool girl this author is - Kurt Cobain and Fiona Apple. Oh, and Smells like Teen Spirit is actually sung acapella in an attempt to create a magical connection (it doesn't work lol).

The fancy english laird doesn't want to return the priceless artifacts bought and stolen from all over the world to their country of origin because he can take care of it better. (Very topical).

The mommy who gives birth to you is not as much as the mommy who adopted you and raised you. (Very modern, very Angelina Jolie).

There are lovingly rendered details of hand crafts like ink-making and bookbinding (very cottage core), as well as an adoration of huge libraries inside big English estate houses (Harry Potter, again, and also Mortal Istruments, which is Harrry Potter).

I liked this very much, by the way. The fact that all these ideas are not in any way original and simply competently assembled did not at all diminish my enjoyment of the story being told. The thrilling, scary bits were thrilling and scary. The magical bits did invoke a sense of wonder or at minimum, curiosity.

THE PROBLEM THOUGH WAS THE STRAIGHT PART OF THE STORY. There's the sister who travels and the sister who stays in the homestead, guarding her dad's library of magical books. The bodyguard of the fussy Englishman, Colin, who is from Boston, is the first man that the librarian sister allows into her home. They ...immediately.... have the true love true blue heterosexual attraction to each other. And they have terrible horrible flirty talk and they kiss and it's like, Wait, What?

Joanna wasn't aroace and somehow didn't go insane living isolated in her house for ten years with just her dad??? She fell hard for the first man not related to her by blood that was ever invited to her house? Plus why the fuck did the author set up all this chemistry beteween Colin and his fancy English charge, the fainting magic blood having boy, who is canon bi???

The no homo of it was so, so awkward and weird. Joanna even asks Colins if he and Nicholas, his charge, aren't a thing and Colins says no, because he likes long hair. He doesn't say he's straight, or that he prefers women, which makes me think the author didn't want to say those things, because it's not true. GIVE ME GAY COLINS. GIVE ME COLINS AND NICHOLAS EXPLORING THEIR BODIES IN THE LIBRARY OF MAGIC BLOOD BOOKS. The quality of the writing for the very gross Joanna and Colin courtship had me writhing with secondhand embarassment as well as disappointment, whereas the rest of the book is snappy and polished.

That tacked on hetero romance, that happens for no reason, kind of ruined the book for me, sad to say. I was so repelled.

[constellationclarke]

Finished Ink Blood Sister Scribe. Feeling slightly manic with the adrenaline rush that loving this book somehow gave me, and also simultaneously like an empty shell of a person because it is now over

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads / storygraph

Ink Blood Sister Scribe

adult low fantasy

follows two sisters who grew up guarding a collection of magical and dangerous books, keeping them safe from a shadowy organisation

one is on the run across the world, staying one step ahead of the magic that killed her mother, but after deciding to stay longer at the Antarctic research base with her girlfriend quickly discovers that even there is not far enough away from the people tracking her

and the other is at home, the sole protector of the books, desperate to find out their secrets

plus a young man who’s lived his life within the Library used for his talent of writing the books

Latine & Jewish MCs, bi MCs

[woodsfae]

I'm reading Ink Blood Sister Scribe and it sure is about ink, blood, sister, and scribe.

[shsenhaji]

📚 June Reading Round-Up 📚

Read a good few books this month, and I hope to finish a few long-standing reads in July.

- Plum Duff by Victoria Goddard (Funny, delightful, heartwarming, that cliffhanger!)

- Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (Took me a few tries to get into it, enjoyable, liked the mystery and the topic (art, truth), didn’t feel as if there was as much resolution at the end as in previous books)

- Tribute by Sherwood Smith (book came highly recommended, very good, more of a Brick than originally thought, took some time to warm up, loved the characters and the themes and everyone getting to grow, appreciated the worldbuilding and the philosophy, friendship and good governance and family, really great messages about how everyone has worth and deserves a chance, fun to focus on not just the princes and young folk)

- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (re-read, first time listening to the audiobook, good and engaging as always, picked out a few new things, sobbed my heart out at Rue’s death, those final chapters!)

- Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs (Compelling, read it in one sitting, so emotional, loved the complex characters and their growth and emotional journeys, not all the moms die in this one, morally grey women, bonds of family)

- Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition Vol. 7 by Hiromu Arakawa (Very good, couldn’t stop reading)

- Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition Vol. 8 by Hiromu Arakawa (Very good, tore through it in two sittings, lots of funny and emotional moments)

- Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie (Re-read, lots of funny moments, loved the relationship between Tommy and Tuppence)

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Ink Blood Sister Scribe | Author: Emma Törzs | Publisher: William Morrow (2023)

[wowzersbrina]

"And power is always a reflection of the world that created it, regardless of intention."

-Ink Blood Sister Scribe, Emma Tőrzs

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Pretty purple book pile (say that ten times fast) 💜

[puffin-smoke]

Just finished Ink Blood Sister Scribe and holy shit. Emma Törzs I will give you my kidney if you write another book

[starswallowingsea]

i have like 30 pages left of the gospel according to jesus christ so im hoping to finish it today at some point :thumbs: yes these are all botm choices i've made this year i need to read still i want to get through at least two of them before the end of the year

ink blood sister scribe

vampires of el norte

queen of thieves

lady tan's circle of women

small angels

[adhd-pixie-nightmare-girl]

Ink Blood Sister Scribe Text Posts Part 4

Nicolas: ive been wanting to get into living what you guys recommend for a beginner Joanna: me? a whore for that lovey dovey shit? it's more likely than you think! Esther at the end of the book: damn girl the power of love and friendship isn't working :/ time to kill someone or whatever

[evenaturtleduck]

Started a new book and I'm having the worst trouble getting into it, not because it's not interesting or I don't like the characters, but there are three POV characters and I like them all and it's so infuriating that I'm a third of the way through and none of them have interacted in any meaningful way (postcards don't count, Esther) and two of them don't yet know that the third exists and I flipped ahead and it's still going to be awhile and it's SO FRUSTRATING.

To be clear this is not a problem with the book--this is a problem with me and my irrational burning insatiable need for characters I like to be friends with each other.