The first half of the story was kind of slow, and somewhat confusing. I have to admit to getting lost a little. I found the characters interesting and felt sorry for Nicholas. I found the second half of the book much more interesting as things started moving along at a better pace. I liked both Esther and Joanna. I loved Joanna's interaction with the cat and trying to win it over. The 'mirror magic' was good.

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Because of their different duties and different schedules, their paths hadn’t really crossed again until the end of the first month, when Esther had hung a sign in the gym looking for sparring buddies. Boxing, Muy Thai, BJJ, MMA, Krav Maga, let’s fight! :) :) :) She’d added the smiley faces to counteract the aggression of “fight,” but had immediately regretted it when another electrician—an obnoxiously tall white guy from Washington who insisted everyone call him “J-Dog”— saw it and began giving her endless shit. Especially when it comes to Fantasy, I've got a preference for things that aren't set in our current world, and definitely not in our current time. But this very much a book set in the present. I think it ultimately works with the Big Bad, but ymmv. Considering it's a standalone novel, the plot was rather contained and I personally enjoyed that: I read so many Fantasy series that it made for a good change. I do think that expectations matter: if you go into it expecting a Fantasy novel with complex world-building and in-depth characterization, you might be disappointed. First, it feels more like a literary/mystery novel with magical elements than a Fantasy book. Secondly, I'm not saying that the characters are one-dimensional, because they aren't, and I did care about them, but they're still sketched in rather broad lines, and some of the relationships shifts were SO abrupt that they didn't make sense to me (*cough* what the second romance even was? Is that insta-lust or whatever? I'm too demi for that haha)(also I had another romance in mind for this specific character, ngl).Ink Blood Sister Scribe transported me into a world where magic is real and books truly do hold power, and it was a world I cherished escaping into. From the author’s note in the book, this is exactly what Törzs had been looking to achieve, to make her readers once again believe. This book was different from anything else I have ever read. It wasn't perfect, but it was quite good and allowed me to get lost in the story.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs | Waterstones

But what is Ink Blood Sister Scribe, really? Is it a book about books? Yes. Is it a mystery? A book about sisters? About family secrets? Yes, yes, and yes. Pearl raised her hand, those long fingers wrapped around the stem of an imaginary glass. “Here’s to the crowd. May they love us.” If they are to survive, she and Joanna must unravel the secrets their parents kept hidden from them - secrets that span centuries and continents, and could cost them their lives ...

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This was when Esther had realized she might be in trouble. Because not only was it true, she was nervous, butterfly-stomached in a way she hadn’t felt for years . . . but Pearl had noticed. Had read it somehow on Esther’s well-trained face or in her well-trained body. Esther wasn’t used to people seeing what she didn’t want them to see, and the way Pearl looked at her, saw her, was unsettling. In response, she’d given Pearl her most confident, reassuring smile, then set her teeth very gently to the inside of Pearl’s bare thigh, which had been enough of a distraction that the conversation ended there. But even then, at the very start, she had suspected how difficult Pearl might be to leave. First things first: I wanted to love this. I love the purple US cover and would've been so happy to slot this into my shelves, but I just don't think it's for me. (sorry, kerry!)

Ink Blood Sister Scribe - Goodreads Shelby’s review of Ink Blood Sister Scribe - Goodreads

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 own 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 . . ." In the world of Ink Blood Sister Scribe, books possess the power to grant individuals extraordinary powers—books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther were raised to honor and protect. However, all magic exacts a price, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has been on the run for ten years, fleeing the same fate that claimed the life of her mother. Joanna isolates herself in her home, all alone, save for the company of the magical tomes. But when Esther makes a grave mistake, the sisters are thrown into a fight for their lives, against an evil that they can't seem to identify. Especially in how their childhood has shaped their adult lives (namely their ambitions, motivations and approach to relationships) as well as the complicated feelings surrounding their long-time estrangement. Chilling and charming ... Törz's debut is a love letter to stories everywhere.' Roshani Chokshi, The Last Tale of the Flower BrideEsther and Joanna were good characters for me and their storylines were well developed. I found them both interesting and convincing. However Nicholas was never very convincing to me - he felt more like a caricature of a posh boy. His storyline seemed rather naive and possibly contrived. In terms of the magic content I thought this was generally good. In particular the mirror magic was very good and well used. While I like elements of it, I feel like the execution is going to bring out the ranter in me. Which is a pity, because it's so close to being something I could have loved. And for a book about books, there's very little concern with the contents inside them. It's more about the physical object and the feeling you have when you either hold one or walk into a room full of them. Which is fine and I relate, it just doesn't make me personally connect with the novel or its characters in any way.