I consider myself a pretty well-rounded reader of fiction. As you may have noticed, I am currently in my “Rom-com Era,” as my Taylor Swift-loving daughter calls it, but I really enjoy a lot of different genres. I love a good thriller. I love getting lost in some historical fiction or a sprawling literary tale. I don’t discriminate between books that are funny, serious, happy, sad, I will usually try out just about anything.
But I have to be honest, here comes my unpopular opinion: I don't really like fantasy. Especially the modern, romantic take on fantasy. These popular series seem to be everywhere I look. Thousands and thousands of pages of fairies and magical creatures, all complete with super hot love scenes to make even the most seasoned romance reader blush. It just isn't my cup of tea. I tried, Sarah J. Maas fans, I really did. But alas, the torrid love affairs of the high fae are not for me. In fact, in a fit of fairy-induced annoyance, I may have recently deposited a brand new, barely-read copy of “A Court of Thorns and Roses” in one of our local Little Free Libraries for the next reader to find.
Of course, there are exceptions to my distaste for fantasy – “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones,” “Practical Magic,” “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” “Outlander.” I really enjoy the mostly fairy-free “magical realism" sub-genre - like this week's book, “Ink Blood Sister Scribe” by Emma Törzs.
“Ink Blood Sister Scribe” is the story of estranged half-sisters, who are tasked with guarding their family's mysterious library of magical books. The collection of books is rare and ancient, containing spells that allow the reader to walk through walls, manipulate the elements, and more. Esther has been on the run for years and is currently working at a remote base in Antarctica. Johanna is isolated at the family home in Vermont, guarding and studying the books. When their father dies suddenly while reading one of the books that Johanna has never seen, the sisters must come back together, and in the process, they discover a much bigger and more dangerous world of magic. Secrets that their parents kept from them for their entire lives are revealed, opening doors to other families and libraries like theirs.
“Ink Blood Sister Scribe” is fast-paced and original and has more twists and turns than I can count. While it is certainly a fantasy novel, it is also set firmly in that “magical realism" category, making it relatable even to fantasy-adverse readers like me. One thing I can never resist is a book about books. I don't know why, but it seems like bookish people tend to gravitate to stories about other people who love to read, write, and curate libraries. People who have deep relationships with all things book related. “Ink Blood Sister Scribe” definitely delivered that to the bibliophile crowd. Overall, I think that Törzs has managed to author a book that will appeal to many different readers, and I don't think this debut is the last we will hear from her.
I promise no fairies or other magical creatures were harmed in the writing of this week's column and I hope that I can say the same for the feelings of any Sarah J. Maas fans. Oh, and to whoever scored that court of the something-or-other book from the Little Free Library, I hope you enjoy it so much more than I did. Until next week, I hope you all read something that you love, fairies or no fairies. Come see me on @allison.the.reader on Instagram for more of my mostly non-fantasy-related ramblings and readings.
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