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pseudosara's review against another edition
5.0
I could not put this book down! I read it in two sittings, only because I fell asleep in the middle. This is the best book Rachel Caine has written. This book is beautifully written and plotted. I love the characters as well. There is not one critical thing I can say. Run to the computer and pre-order this today. You won't be sorry!
laurahorn's review against another edition
1.0
Did not finish. I really wanted to like this book but I just could not get into it.
mistflower04's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rants_n_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
brittney_tyler's review against another edition
5.0
Star Rating: 4.5 stars
Is an institution that controls the distention of all knowledge what we, as a society, need? Doesn’t that take away the free will that we worked so hard to achieve? Couldn’t they force us to swallow a certain doctrine of their own making? These are the questions that are addressed within the pages of Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. In the world of Ink and Bone, the Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed and has become a separate entity without allegiance to any country, ethnic group, or powerbase, spreading from one corner of the world to the other. They control all knowledge and if and when it gets released to the public. Real books are an ultra-rare commodity and it is illegal to own one, but just like anything that becomes rare, they have become valuable, and as a result, a black-market for them has been created. Into this tumultuous world comes Jess Brightwell, a young boy whose family runs a lucrative black-market ring. Jess doesn’t fit into his family because instead of seeing books as way to make a fast buck, he sees them as treasures. Because of this, his family decides to give him an ultimatum: Be their spy from within the Library or he will be out on his own at 16. Thinking this would be a good way to get away from a life he is not happy in; he agrees to go into Library training. When he arrives in Alexandria, he expects to start his new life quietly with none of the fuss of his old life, but instead, he gets a rollercoaster adventure that will change him inside and out forever.
I really enjoyed the ideas that this novel brought to the forefront, mostly because I am a learned person and I find it incredibly annoying when someone makes an assertion, has a belief, or is close-minded about a topic that if they would just take the time to learn about it, they would realize that they were wrong. With this knowledge, you would think that I would be excited about having an institution in the world that would prevent close-mindedness, but then you have to wonder about whether people or the institution themselves would not use that platform to force-feed everyone their doctrine and make individuals even more close-minded than they already are. After realizing this, you discover that maybe this institution is not what we need, maybe what we have is good enough, and we just have train people to use them better and for the right and better purposes.
I also enjoyed how diverse the cast of characters was because you had individuals from every nationality, ethnicity, and section of society training to work within this organization. I liked how when they became employees, they lost all ties or sympathies they may have had towards their country or place of origin. This made them impartial and allowed them to look on all the different forms of knowledge and learning without having the preconceived notions that they would have had if they were looking at it through the lens of a certain country, religion, or culture. I wish more individuals would be willing to look at things through the eyes of impartiality because we would be much less close-minded and the world would be a much better place.
All in all, I really think that this book trilogy has a lot of promise and I am interested to read on, especially since it made me think and consider new ideas so much. There were some slight problems with the plot and world being confusing (It could have used a tad more planning and streamlining), which lead to me knocking it down a ½ star (will show as 4 or 5 because Goodreads doesn’t allow ½ stars), but overall, a nice book and an enjoyable read. A low 4.5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is an institution that controls the distention of all knowledge what we, as a society, need? Doesn’t that take away the free will that we worked so hard to achieve? Couldn’t they force us to swallow a certain doctrine of their own making? These are the questions that are addressed within the pages of Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. In the world of Ink and Bone, the Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed and has become a separate entity without allegiance to any country, ethnic group, or powerbase, spreading from one corner of the world to the other. They control all knowledge and if and when it gets released to the public. Real books are an ultra-rare commodity and it is illegal to own one, but just like anything that becomes rare, they have become valuable, and as a result, a black-market for them has been created. Into this tumultuous world comes Jess Brightwell, a young boy whose family runs a lucrative black-market ring. Jess doesn’t fit into his family because instead of seeing books as way to make a fast buck, he sees them as treasures. Because of this, his family decides to give him an ultimatum: Be their spy from within the Library or he will be out on his own at 16. Thinking this would be a good way to get away from a life he is not happy in; he agrees to go into Library training. When he arrives in Alexandria, he expects to start his new life quietly with none of the fuss of his old life, but instead, he gets a rollercoaster adventure that will change him inside and out forever.
I really enjoyed the ideas that this novel brought to the forefront, mostly because I am a learned person and I find it incredibly annoying when someone makes an assertion, has a belief, or is close-minded about a topic that if they would just take the time to learn about it, they would realize that they were wrong. With this knowledge, you would think that I would be excited about having an institution in the world that would prevent close-mindedness, but then you have to wonder about whether people or the institution themselves would not use that platform to force-feed everyone their doctrine and make individuals even more close-minded than they already are. After realizing this, you discover that maybe this institution is not what we need, maybe what we have is good enough, and we just have train people to use them better and for the right and better purposes.
I also enjoyed how diverse the cast of characters was because you had individuals from every nationality, ethnicity, and section of society training to work within this organization. I liked how when they became employees, they lost all ties or sympathies they may have had towards their country or place of origin. This made them impartial and allowed them to look on all the different forms of knowledge and learning without having the preconceived notions that they would have had if they were looking at it through the lens of a certain country, religion, or culture. I wish more individuals would be willing to look at things through the eyes of impartiality because we would be much less close-minded and the world would be a much better place.
All in all, I really think that this book trilogy has a lot of promise and I am interested to read on, especially since it made me think and consider new ideas so much. There were some slight problems with the plot and world being confusing (It could have used a tad more planning and streamlining), which lead to me knocking it down a ½ star (will show as 4 or 5 because Goodreads doesn’t allow ½ stars), but overall, a nice book and an enjoyable read. A low 4.5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!
davastewart's review against another edition
4.0
Fantasy with a hint of steampunk, this one was right up my alley. I read it quickly and love how long it is. I've put the second one on hold with my library and am afraid that I already know at least one of the plot lines. I hope I'm wrong.
This one is set in a world that is our own, but where things went much differently. The Library rules all. Original works are kept in Serapeaums, or daughter libraries, all over the world. The main library is in Alexandria. People only have access to books that the Library deems safe. Books are "mirrored" into "blanks." Each person is issued a personal journal at birth, which is preserved at their death -- so everyone essentially has an autobiography to be preserved forever.
But the Library is not all that it seems. There's a thriving black market for originals, many works are deemed seditious, there's a Black Archive. Potential new librarians go through a grueling process, with many of them competing for only a few spots each year. This is the story of one group of potential librarians, with Jess, the son of a book smuggling family, being the main character.
If you enjoy fantasy, coming of age stories, steampunk, or alternate realities you might like this one.
This one is set in a world that is our own, but where things went much differently. The Library rules all. Original works are kept in Serapeaums, or daughter libraries, all over the world. The main library is in Alexandria. People only have access to books that the Library deems safe. Books are "mirrored" into "blanks." Each person is issued a personal journal at birth, which is preserved at their death -- so everyone essentially has an autobiography to be preserved forever.
But the Library is not all that it seems. There's a thriving black market for originals, many works are deemed seditious, there's a Black Archive. Potential new librarians go through a grueling process, with many of them competing for only a few spots each year. This is the story of one group of potential librarians, with Jess, the son of a book smuggling family, being the main character.
If you enjoy fantasy, coming of age stories, steampunk, or alternate realities you might like this one.
crystal_w's review against another edition
4.0
In a world where books are religion.
What would have happened if the Library of Alexandria never burned down? That is the daydream of every hardcore book lover. This books give a very intriguing glimpse of what that world might have looked like.
The Library controls all access to knowledge, protects all original copies, and shares that wealth of knowledge with the world "unbiasedly", because of their control black market original books are very desirable. This is where we meet Jess who is the son of a predominant black market dealer. When his father finds out Jess doesn't have the heart to take over the family business he sends him to school, this is where we learn he qualifies for tryouts for one of the worlds most Elite jobs in The Library.
With a collection of others students they are put to the test, only 6 positions are available. The competition is cut throat as they delve deeper into the actual world of The Library. They make discoveries and start to question whether The Library truly stands for the greater good of humanity or for the papers they hold sacred.
It took a little while to get back into the mindset of reading a book about books, but once I was in it I found myself absorbed into the world! This is a book that ends on a cliff hanger which I normally don't enjoy, so I am looking forward to getting my hands on books 2.
What would have happened if the Library of Alexandria never burned down? That is the daydream of every hardcore book lover. This books give a very intriguing glimpse of what that world might have looked like.
The Library controls all access to knowledge, protects all original copies, and shares that wealth of knowledge with the world "unbiasedly", because of their control black market original books are very desirable. This is where we meet Jess who is the son of a predominant black market dealer. When his father finds out Jess doesn't have the heart to take over the family business he sends him to school, this is where we learn he qualifies for tryouts for one of the worlds most Elite jobs in The Library.
With a collection of others students they are put to the test, only 6 positions are available. The competition is cut throat as they delve deeper into the actual world of The Library. They make discoveries and start to question whether The Library truly stands for the greater good of humanity or for the papers they hold sacred.
It took a little while to get back into the mindset of reading a book about books, but once I was in it I found myself absorbed into the world! This is a book that ends on a cliff hanger which I normally don't enjoy, so I am looking forward to getting my hands on books 2.
connie445's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
antimuffin_reads's review against another edition
I got to 100 pages and I decided I couldn't read any more of this.