Scan barcode
kthomas16's review against another edition
5.0
Great story!
This book really intrigued me! If you are an avid book lover, mystery lover and overall fantasy genre lover, you will greatly enjoy this book. Super interesting story world, and very much looking forward to the rest of the series! Highly recommend!!!
This book really intrigued me! If you are an avid book lover, mystery lover and overall fantasy genre lover, you will greatly enjoy this book. Super interesting story world, and very much looking forward to the rest of the series! Highly recommend!!!
egrace13's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bingley's review against another edition
3.0
(240518) Had some interesting, exciting plot points, but character personalities are inconsistent and feel 2D. I feel like it was so busy trying to be a rollicking mystery adventure, hitting certain benchmarks of snarkiness, that it got confused trying to find its way there and out.
TLDR: too inconsistent to deeply capture my fascination/loyalty for further reading.
Whenever I was getting into the plot, a character behaving oddly, trope-ly, or having a random outburst/reaction would just take me back out.
Irene's inner monologues are somewhat long-winded, her thought process in key decisive moments make me feel impatient, like GRL! ISN'T THIS A DANGEROUS SITUATION RN? WHAT ARE YOU DRAGGING ON FOR? Author says she's smart, but her behaviors contradict that: she keeps getting into yikes situations and making questionable decisions.
Kai... exhibits inconsistent behaviors and replies that it feel like he's more a compilation of surface quotes rather than a full fleshed character. He's only given a key characteristic of stringent loyalty that even afterhis identity as a dragon is revealed , it doesn't add much depth.
Also, what's with the secrecy of the Library?? After all Irene's INSISTENCE that the Library is secret, it's dangerous to talk about it, they're not allowed to, she then ends up telling new friends all about its inner workings and the Language. She insists that "oh, i can't say anything, but I will say- (goes on to spill a bunch of secrets)" Like where is the consistency here, too?!?!
If Author establishes one of the founding pillars of the Library to be secrecy, then why is Author contradicting herself by making all these loose lips! SMH.
POV: third person, singular, Irene
MAGIC: fae, elves, dragons, spells, oh my. a little bit steampunk-ish world, if you will.
TLDR: too inconsistent to deeply capture my fascination/loyalty for further reading.
Whenever I was getting into the plot, a character behaving oddly, trope-ly, or having a random outburst/reaction would just take me back out.
Irene's inner monologues are somewhat long-winded, her thought process in key decisive moments make me feel impatient, like GRL! ISN'T THIS A DANGEROUS SITUATION RN? WHAT ARE YOU DRAGGING ON FOR? Author says she's smart, but her behaviors contradict that: she keeps getting into yikes situations and making questionable decisions.
Kai... exhibits inconsistent behaviors and replies that it feel like he's more a compilation of surface quotes rather than a full fleshed character. He's only given a key characteristic of stringent loyalty that even after
Also, what's with the secrecy of the Library?? After all Irene's INSISTENCE that the Library is secret, it's dangerous to talk about it, they're not allowed to, she then ends up telling new friends all about its inner workings and the Language. She insists that "oh, i can't say anything, but I will say- (goes on to spill a bunch of secrets)" Like where is the consistency here, too?!?!
If Author establishes one of the founding pillars of the Library to be secrecy, then why is Author contradicting herself by making all these loose lips! SMH.
POV: third person, singular, Irene
MAGIC: fae, elves, dragons, spells, oh my. a little bit steampunk-ish world, if you will.
ashaleyfaye's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ineffablebob's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
The Invisible Library By Genevieve Cogman is not about your average library. This one is extra-dimensional and able to access a wide variety of alternate universes, and the Librarians go on missions in these realms looking to retrieve rare and unique books of all sorts. Of course, there's bigger and more dangerous things than missing books out there as well, including an ongoing war between forces of chaos and order. It's a fun premise and the protagonists Irene and Kai are fun people to follow as they go after their targets, solving mysteries and barely surviving attacks and traps, utilizing a variety of techniques from investigation and intrigue to outright larceny. The mystery aspects are fairly predictable, can't say I was surprised by any of the revelations by the time they came up, but there's enough dangerous action and character development that it didn't really matter. I had a good time with it, and since this is the first in a series and there's plenty of open mysterious questions remaining, I'll probably be spending some more time with this library.
starlily's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
alliejo's review against another edition
3.75
Cool idea and decent plot suffers from weak/debut writing
mirificmoxie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5