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stwriter92's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Body horror, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol and Sexual content
dcheers's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
An enjoyable enough read, I liked the premise, the world building, and the characters to an extent, however I found some of the character dialogue, decision making, and descriptions a bit jarring and overly romantisized and out of place.
Though it wasn't a complete page turner, I am still looking forward to seeing what is next for the characters and continuing on in the series!
Though it wasn't a complete page turner, I am still looking forward to seeing what is next for the characters and continuing on in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Sexism, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Abortion
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
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
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Murder and Sexual content
tarotsystem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Blood
meganpbennett's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fast-paced adventure featuring a semi-mythical Library and its Librarians, who use Language to help them navigate alternate realities. It's part steam-punk adventure, part detective story, part urban fantasy and it works in a way that it really shouldn't.
Irene works for the Library, and after just barely surviving collecting a rare book from one reality, she's sent off on her next mission, with a mentee named Kai. This alternate reality is contaminated with Chaos and has all the usual urban fantasy creatures - vampires, werewolves, the Fae - to make life interesting. Irene and Kai are after a rare and specific copy of Grimm's tales from that alternate reality.
But when the urban legend from the Library shows up and turns out to be both very real and very dangerous, things have a way of getting even more complicated than they appear from the outside.
Edit: August 10, 2021 : A reread of The Invisible Library was very interesting, and the clues left about several things are very, very well done.
Irene works for the Library, and after just barely surviving collecting a rare book from one reality, she's sent off on her next mission, with a mentee named Kai. This alternate reality is contaminated with Chaos and has all the usual urban fantasy creatures - vampires, werewolves, the Fae - to make life interesting. Irene and Kai are after a rare and specific copy of Grimm's tales from that alternate reality.
But when the urban legend from the Library shows up and turns out to be both very real and very dangerous, things have a way of getting even more complicated than they appear from the outside.
Edit: August 10, 2021 : A reread of The Invisible Library was very interesting, and the clues left about several things are very, very well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death, Murder, and Violence
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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