Initially I was honestly bored when reading this one. It was a slow start, but after about seven chapters, I was in. The perspective shifts between a handful of characters and was initially confusing, but came together about a fourth of the way in.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is about two sisters who are separated. Esther left home as soon as she was able and her sister (Joanna) resents her for it. The two still care about one another immensely but don’t talk much. Their father dies by a mysterious book draining him of his life, but Esther still doesn’t return home. Esther has her reasons and we learn more about why she left as the book goes on. Joanna takes care of the family home and visits her mother regularly. Cecilia (their mother) lives in the same town as Joanna, but Joanna won’t let her visit their old home. This is another point that is further explained later on. The tertiary main character to the sisters is Nicholas. He’s a rich, British aristocrat. His introduction frames him in a naive light, but the dynamic he has with his bodyguard (Collins) paints him as a jokester. Why does Nicholas matter in this story about sisters and magic books? You’ll have to find out as this plot goes crazy.

Esther has to continue moving and never stay in one place for more than a single year. Her father told her this and she has no idea why; this is why she can’t ever go home to Joanna. She’s living in the Arctic at a research station and she decides she’s not going to move this year because she’s found a partner and she feels like she can finally live her life. Weird things start happening around the station like blood marks on mirrors. A book Esther holds dear is stolen at one point as well. She starts to blame herself and as things escalate, it looks like her father was right. After some crazy shenanigans, she receives passage out of the Arctic and from there it gets even more complicated. I don’t want to spoil a lot, but Esther isn’t affected by magic, never has been. The girls’ father (Abe) tested them when they were little, and Joanna could read spells and sense magic, but Esther couldn’t. Because of Joanna’s devotion to magic, she is in charge of protecting their father’s collection upon his passing. These duties include tending to the wards every night to ensure their books are hidden from the rest of the world. Abe told Joanna before he passed to never let their mother back into the house, so she doesn’t. This puts a strain on her relationship with her mother as well as with Esther. She feels alone and trapped by responsibility. Nicholas has a responsibility to his family as well. He bleeds magic. His family uses his blood to write spellbooks. They call themselves “The Library”. (Pretty on-the-nose right?) Because of his special blood, he is kept under lock and key at their manor for most of his life. His introduction sees him at a party, seeing a spell he wrote for a commission being used. He’s simply glad to be out of his house for once as it’s lonely being cooped up in a house for your entire life. Nicholas used to love magic and the joy it brought to others, so his uncle (Richard) tries to show him his commissions in action to reinvigorate that spark. He is a person with not much hope left, and to see his growth in this story is something I really loved.

Esther, Joanna and Nicholas all have such rich histories that are shrouded in mystery and the way things are unveiled is brilliantly done. Most of them are indirectly stated in another character’s chapter, but if you pay attention, you can piece it together pretty easily. They all make sense in context and come together to create a seamless narrative. Not every thread is resolved, and some ends are not wholly satisfying. I don’t mean this in a negative way though. There’s a moment where a character does something they know must be done, despite not knowing if it’s completely right. It’s such a confliction of emotion that I still don’t know if it was the right thing to do. That moment and the ramifications of the actions the characters take throughout the story, leave a lasting impact. No character ever shrugs off moments that would rock a real person’s word. Their perspectives are constantly changing as more complex revelations are revealed, and they all react with such humanity that I was always touched by their reactions.

There’s so much heart and genuinity to this fiction. The characters and their journeys were a thrill to experience. I felt their humanity through their conviction, strife and confusion. This story is about a group of people searching for the truth. They have to wade through the depths of mysterious happenings and cryptic messages, but they all have a tenacious spirit to find a resolution. Their realistic emotions and interactions with one another, kept me enthralled throughout. I really enjoyed this story and the developments within. It was messy and real, so if you like magic stories with complex characters and like learning about a new kind of world, this one might be your cup of tea.