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sassmistress's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
4.25
Very fresh, exciting fantasy novel in a Victorian England (think Sherlock Holmes and old-school British gentlemen) alternate dimension, with lots of magic and magical creatures, occasional non-graphic sexual content, and some gore.
I really enjoyed this read for myself, except for the occasional annoying content concern. It was unique and exciting, with some funny turns. The (adult, female, competent professional) MC loves her books and tea, but bravely faces adventure for her beloved Library, the collector of important works of literature from countless alternate dimensions. This does sometimes involve burgling the book in question.
This book draws inspiration from detective fiction, steampunk (/magic punk?), Fae lore, and a little of that Douglas Adams wit. We've got airships and stagecoaches juxtaposed with werewolves and glamour and eldritch horror. And also cybernetic alligators ๐ Such things are the result of a world falling prey to the forces of chaos.
Nonstop action, fantastic magic system, terrifying bad guys. To avoid spoilers, I'll be really vague here, but the book climaxes with some spot on, breathtaking imagery of the ultimate fate of evil.
Lots of magic,and I'm a sucker for a good magic system. The Librarians use The Language to make things happen (with limitations, if you can tell the object to do something in the Language, it'll happen. They have to study vocab regularly). Fae are universally bad and use chaos magic. The two are incompatible. Tech imbued with magic in this world, that part's pretty vague.
I really enjoyed this read for myself, except for the occasional annoying content concern. It was unique and exciting, with some funny turns. The (adult, female, competent professional) MC loves her books and tea, but bravely faces adventure for her beloved Library, the collector of important works of literature from countless alternate dimensions. This does sometimes involve burgling the book in question.
This book draws inspiration from detective fiction, steampunk (/magic punk?), Fae lore, and a little of that Douglas Adams wit. We've got airships and stagecoaches juxtaposed with werewolves and glamour and eldritch horror. And also cybernetic alligators ๐ Such things are the result of a world falling prey to the forces of chaos.
Nonstop action, fantastic magic system, terrifying bad guys. To avoid spoilers, I'll be really vague here, but the book climaxes with some spot on, breathtaking imagery of the ultimate fate of evil.
Lots of magic,and I'm a sucker for a good magic system. The Librarians use The Language to make things happen (with limitations, if you can tell the object to do something in the Language, it'll happen. They have to study vocab regularly). Fae are universally bad and use chaos magic. The two are incompatible. Tech imbued with magic in this world, that part's pretty vague.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Confinement, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Medical content, Cursing, and Sexism
Sexual content: (fairly quick, minor for adult sensibilities, and earlier in the book): - Fae attempt to seduce the MC. "[the smile] was inviting, somehow suggesting darkness and candlelight and closeness, a catch in the breath, a warm hand in hers, a pressure against her body..."ย And she shakes it off. More murmuring close to lips, description trying to sound enchanting. - Work partner invites the MC to sleep with him. She declines because there's work to do and he's "not her type". Which, apparently, is "darkly dangerous, of dubious morality." Both brag in vague terms about their sexual prowess. Later ogles his fancy outfit and wonders whether she regrets declining. - MC is bisexual, not central to the plot but it comes up several times. Brief consideration of "which way" a potential antagonist "swings", passing thought about using the intern as a honeypot, and several oblique references to the MC's past fling with another woman. - One or two other instances of passionate admiration, steamy but not very spicy visual appreciation, calls him "intoxicating" for being unguarded ๐ - Later, just attempts by the MC to avoid showing too much leg while maneuvering in her long skirt. Spiritual content: - "It was at times like this that Irene really wished she believed in prayer." - "There was something fascinating about the pure, focused dedication that [her mentee] gave the caviar: it seemed to somehow elevate the little black grains into something holy, even divine. ".... Other: - Gory descriptions of burnt skin, oozing wounds, exposed bone, the scene of a beheading, and the bad guy skinned a person and used it as a disguise. They found the skin and it's highlighted as gruesome. - Discarded cigars and cigarettes in the aftermath of a party. - Sinking vehicle trigger:starrysteph's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a fun concept, although a little light on the execution.
We're dropped into the secret society of the Library, which exists between alternate worlds and collects unique works of fiction. We follow Librarian Irene and her fresh assistant Kai as they attempt to recover a stolen book, unravel a mystery, & get out of a whole lot of trouble.
It's a playful mystery story, though it suffers a bit from underdeveloped/simple characters who lack the insight they perhaps should have had. I can imagine it would be more fun for perhaps young readers who don't catch on to the (fairly obvious) clues and suspicious situations.
The worldbuilding was intriguing and I actually liked being dropped RIGHT into the action and catching up as we went along. And of course - as a person who loves to read - a book about a mysterious society of Librarians is a pretty delightful concept. This is a long series with spin offs and I would consider reading more tales set in the world! Maybe the plotting & characterization has greater depth as we go on?
CW: body horror, injury, blood, death, violence, murder, animal death, sexual content, ableism, sexism
We're dropped into the secret society of the Library, which exists between alternate worlds and collects unique works of fiction. We follow Librarian Irene and her fresh assistant Kai as they attempt to recover a stolen book, unravel a mystery, & get out of a whole lot of trouble.
It's a playful mystery story, though it suffers a bit from underdeveloped/simple characters who lack the insight they perhaps should have had. I can imagine it would be more fun for perhaps young readers who don't catch on to the (fairly obvious) clues and suspicious situations.
The worldbuilding was intriguing and I actually liked being dropped RIGHT into the action and catching up as we went along. And of course - as a person who loves to read - a book about a mysterious society of Librarians is a pretty delightful concept. This is a long series with spin offs and I would consider reading more tales set in the world! Maybe the plotting & characterization has greater depth as we go on?
CW: body horror, injury, blood, death, violence, murder, animal death, sexual content, ableism, sexism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Gore, Medical content, and Sexism
leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
As a Librarian, your main duty is to collect and preserve various books from different realities. Irene and her new assistant, Kai, are assigned to bring back a mysterious book back from a dangerous alternative London, only to arrive and find that the book that seems to already have been taken. Along with Irene and Kai, there are several other secret societies and individuals who are also interested in obtaining this book, and they are willing to fight to the death for it. Can Irene and Kai find the book and bring it back to the safety of the Library, before this chaos-infested alternative London kills them both?
It's hard to put my review of this book into words. I didn't dislike it, but it isn't a book that really grabbed my attention, either. The story was good, I enjoyed the character interactions, and I totally loved the idea of a secret Library where individuals are literally lifelong Librarians solely dedicated to retrieving books and bringing them to the Library for safekeeping and preservation.
The progression of the storyline was written at a good pace, and I appreciated that the interactions between the characters seemed realistic.I especially liked that Irene didn't give in to Kai's attempts at advances, even if she did feel a physical attraction to him. I liked the magic system combined with some science fiction/technology; it was a nice twist on a normal fantasy story.
Overall, I did enjoy this story, but it didn't constantly keep me coming back for more. I can't pinpoint any particular issues that I had with the book; it just wasn't anything "special," in my opinion. I wouldn't read it again, and I likely won't read the several other books in the series.
It's hard to put my review of this book into words. I didn't dislike it, but it isn't a book that really grabbed my attention, either. The story was good, I enjoyed the character interactions, and I totally loved the idea of a secret Library where individuals are literally lifelong Librarians solely dedicated to retrieving books and bringing them to the Library for safekeeping and preservation.
The progression of the storyline was written at a good pace, and I appreciated that the interactions between the characters seemed realistic.
Overall, I did enjoy this story, but it didn't constantly keep me coming back for more. I can't pinpoint any particular issues that I had with the book; it just wasn't anything "special," in my opinion. I wouldn't read it again, and I likely won't read the several other books in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Animal death
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