Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 12/01/2024
Published by: Penguin
ISBN: 9781529160468
Cover:
Despite the simplicity of this design, the red, gold, and black colours make it eye-catching. The book’s title and the illustration also nicely convey key aspects of the story.
Writing:
Lush details and descriptions brought this story to life but were jarringly excessive – especially in the first half of the story. On top of this, a third-person point of view was used, which made the writing style even less engaging. There were some cute moments of humour, though, and fewer information dumps in the second half of the story, making the pacing better.
when things are very beautiful and comfortable on the surface, it can be harder to see the ugliness underneath.
power is always a reflection of the world that has created it, regardless of intention.
Storyline:
Layers of context were continually woven into the first half of this story as the three main characters and the concept of magical books were established. While this made for a painfully slow and tedious start, the hints of danger and mystery kept me interested. The storyline then gradually picked up, with surprising twists and moments of action building to a strong, satisfying climax and resolution to the mystery.
Main character(s):
Esther, Joanna, and Nicolas are extremely well-developed characters who are given distinct and complex backstories, struggles, and personalities from their points of view. Although they did not always make clever decisions, their detailed motives and emotions made it very easy for me to connect with and root for them.
How many people in this world could claim to know exactly what they’d been made for
he looked like the kind of man who probably owned a lot of recreational outdoor equipment and wanted to teach her how to use it.
Secondary characters:
Several secondary characters help drive the mystery aspect of this story, but they failed to make a strong impression on me. Collins was the only character I found somewhat memorable, as he formed great relationships with the main characters.
Romance:
Even with two romantic connections, this aspect of the story contributed little and seemed underdeveloped. One relationship, formed before the story began, was mainly told rather than shown, leaving it feeling shallow. The other connection developed towards the end of the story and seemed cute but received little focus.
Mystery creates intrigue, which creates desire, which creates commodity.
being in danger is its own kind of lock and key. There’s a freedom in safety
Narration & Audio:
Saskia Maarleveld gives a terrific performance with accents and voices for the different characters, along with vocal changes to convey the various emotions. However, her narration seemed somewhat formal, which did little to make the information-filled narrative more engaging.
Ultimately, ‘Ink Blood Sister Scribe’ was a fascinating read filled with rich characters, magic, and mystery. The slow start and excessive details just made it less engaging and difficult to get through. I would recommend The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers for those who enjoyed this, as it has a similar blend of fantasy and mystery.
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