Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Invisible Library

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

7 reviews

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 😂 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..." 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 🙄 - 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:

Emotionally graphic near-drowning trapped in a sinking vehicle.

The bad guy magically sealed them into the vehicle and sent it tumbling into the river.

- I noted one count of sh**. Might have missed one, but there's not much language.

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

mattiedancer's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Writing: 4.5⭐️/5

On the cover of this book, it claims to be a book “in which to wallow.” I would say the writing is a decadence in which to wallow. Genevieve Cogman nails the voice of Irene, a woman dedicated to the study and preservation of language and books. Several moments of the novel were truly stunning in the prose. A few mistakes and awkward moments close to the end of the novel are the only reason this writing is not a five. Well, that and the fact that the plot required more exposition than I might have loved.

Characters: 5⭐️/5

I actually loved nearly every character in this story. I felt the history, the motivations, the development, and deep thought behind each character. Irene was a fascinating character through and through. Kai was interesting as well and I can’t wait to learn more about him. Even **Spoilers** Bradamant was fascinating to learn about and, even as she was betraying our crew, I couldn’t help but like her in an offhanded way.

Plot: 4.75⭐️/5

The world (see below) is nearly as complex as the plot. I was fairly hooked from the moment Cogman had her character’s main mission be all about attaining and retaining one-of-a-kind literature. Where I felt slightly confused, I feel Cogman did a decent job of explaining, even when she had to sacrifice a bit of fluidity in the prose to do so. Thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable.

World 4.75⭐️/5

The world is as fascinating as it is large, complex, and completely weird. I loved the alternate dimensions, loved the state of the library being at the crux of it all, and I loved the fact that the book had everything from fae, vampires, and werewolves to zeppelins, alligators with laser beams, and computers. The breadth of the world was remarkable and always interesting – however, it definitely could feel overwhelming and a bit confusing, which is my only small, wee, teeny-tiny complaint.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of fantasy mixed with sci-fi
Fans of complex fantasy worlds
Fans of characters who love (or live in) academia
Lovers of books and fantasy novels
Someone looking for a new, unique read and isn’t afraid of a complex world state.

Content Warnings?

Body horror, blood, death, injury, injury detail, toxic relationship, murder, animal cruelty (minor), animal death (minor), violence, gore, sexual content (minor)

Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5

Pretty much immediately knew I was ordering the whole series. And I’m excited to return to this world.

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5

Content Warnings

mblanke's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

katievallin's review

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

stwriter92's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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? Yes

4.0

I bought this book on a whim back in 2019 and did not think to pick it up until this year. I've always adored books about books and this was no different. I was drawn to the idea of librarians that are super badass and travel to alternate worlds as spies to ~~steal~~ acquire books to keep in the Library, which is a place that exists between worlds as a sort of archive for said books. When I bought this book (and then started reading it three years after said buying), I did not realize that this was a part of an eight book series. However, after reading this book, I am definitely justifying myself buying each subsequent part of the series as needed.

The Invisible Library introduces us to the world of the Library as well as the politics involved. We are introduced to the Librarian Irene and her new, mysterious assistant, Kai. They have been sent on a seemingly innocuous and mundane mission to retrieve a book of Grimms' Fairy Tales from an alternative Victorian England. However, once they reach their destination, they realize that they are working with forces far stronger, darker, and more dangerous than they had expected. With the help of a (very Sherlock Holmes-esque) detective named Vale and Bradamant, a rival Librarian, they must work together to go up against a mysterious and evil adversary.

We get a good introduction to the world, but a lot of it went wanting. However, I think this will probably be rectified in the rest of the books, which I look forward to reading. There were some parts of the book that fell a little flat for me, but there were far more that had me having a physical reaction of surprise, amusement, and shock. I finished reading this book in a cafe and immediately went to the bookshop round the corner to get the second one, which I intend to start reading as soon as I finish typing up this review.

I really look forward to seeing the characters develop and I really really look forward to learning more about the Library. It is obviously more than just an archive for books from parallel worlds and I can't wait to uncover all the mysteries that lie in its corridors.

Content Warnings

silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A very pleasant read! While there are some specific references (more details below) that are disturbing and even verge on gruesome, the writing style keeps to minimal details and a lighter tone. Not *quite* as much fun as Etiquette & Espionage, in my opinion, but very much in the same general vein (though with more book references, which is a plus).

Content Warnings

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