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yodamom's review
4.0
Isaac, is a young man, a libromancer who has been banned from using his magical abilities. The group that oversees magical uses called The Porters thinks he is a danger. He is close to losing his mind to the characters in the books. In this world they can take you over, possess you. There is a really cool side to this, you can pull weapons, potions, and other really amazing stuff out too. Can you imagine do that ? It had my inner geek girl riveted to the pages. Many popular authors/books are dragged into the story giving me another level of connection. So Isaac the outcast is forced back into service when Gutenberg goes ? Nobody is really sure what happened to him, But he is the BIG DOG, the all powerful leader, and yes he is that Gutenberg. He crosses paths with vampires, dangerous mechanical creatures, and other magical beings from the pages of this world. He fumbles,makes mistakes and he a great character.
This was a very different book. I think any scifi geek would enjoy it as would fans of Tuesday Next and Harry Dresden.
This was a very different book. I think any scifi geek would enjoy it as would fans of Tuesday Next and Harry Dresden.
bookph1le's review
3.0
3.5 stars
This book didn't hold me in its thrall the way reads I really enjoy do, but it was solid, and I liked it a lot. I'll try to ensure this review isn't too spoiler-y.
It was very refreshing to read about a hero who, while he does have some of the general cockiness you might expect from your typical male fantasy protagonist, is very self-aware. When Isaac messes up, he knows it and he owns it. He's also very thoughtful about his potential love interest and what the implications are of getting into a relationship with her, though I have to say I found her kind of stock.
The concept of this book is interesting too. Naturally, being the book lover I am, I think a magic system revolving around books would be awesome, and I really appreciated that Hines set up a solid system that involves rules that make sense. It's a given that our hero is going to find a way to take the magic beyond what he initially thought he could do, and while I thought that was fine in this book, there is the potential for things to become so god-like in future installments that I might end up disconnecting--I'm never a fan of fantasy books where the main characters have powers that are *too* uber. We'll see.
The other thing I admired about this book was how it grapples with the ethics of magic and tries to reckon with the secrets Isaac learns. I'm all about thoughtful portrayals of the consequences of one's actions, so well done, Isaac, for actually reflecting in the actions of yourself and others and questioning whether those actions were right. I also appreciated that there was a lot of gray area in these books, and that they were willing to go into lesser-of-two-evils territory.
This book didn't hold me in its thrall the way reads I really enjoy do, but it was solid, and I liked it a lot. I'll try to ensure this review isn't too spoiler-y.
It was very refreshing to read about a hero who, while he does have some of the general cockiness you might expect from your typical male fantasy protagonist, is very self-aware. When Isaac messes up, he knows it and he owns it. He's also very thoughtful about his potential love interest and what the implications are of getting into a relationship with her, though I have to say I found her kind of stock.
The concept of this book is interesting too. Naturally, being the book lover I am, I think a magic system revolving around books would be awesome, and I really appreciated that Hines set up a solid system that involves rules that make sense. It's a given that our hero is going to find a way to take the magic beyond what he initially thought he could do, and while I thought that was fine in this book, there is the potential for things to become so god-like in future installments that I might end up disconnecting--I'm never a fan of fantasy books where the main characters have powers that are *too* uber. We'll see.
The other thing I admired about this book was how it grapples with the ethics of magic and tries to reckon with the secrets Isaac learns. I'm all about thoughtful portrayals of the consequences of one's actions, so well done, Isaac, for actually reflecting in the actions of yourself and others and questioning whether those actions were right. I also appreciated that there was a lot of gray area in these books, and that they were willing to go into lesser-of-two-evils territory.
tishywishy's review
3.0
Not as detailed as a typical Jim Hines novel. I could not connect with the characters, and I am a fan of Hines' character development, and the story was a bit bland. I doubt I will read the others in this series.
songwind's review
4.0
Have you ever written crossover fan-fiction? Or imagined how artifact X would play in world Y?
I have, and I think that's a big part of why I adored "Libriomancer" so much.
Isaac is a Libriomancer - he uses magic to hone the collective imagination of readers into reality, and "pull" things out of books. He works for the Porters, who are sworn to protect people from magic, and to keep magic secret. Unfortunately, he also flubbed his field assignments and has been busted back to Catalog work in a small town of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
That is, until a trio of vampires show up at his library to avenge an attack by the other Porters. He's saved in the nick of time by the bodyguard of the psychologist that stripped him of his field credentials. The two of them are left without allies or a plan, and are faced with the necessity of finding out just what's going on.
The ensuing adventures blend action, mystery, investigation and a bit of romance. The book is a smooth, engaging read with characters that you both love, and love to hate. The clues that the duo gather point first one way, then another before they finally figure out what's going on, and who's behind it.
I definitely recommend "Libriomancer" for any fan of fantasy adventure from 12 to 120.
I have, and I think that's a big part of why I adored "Libriomancer" so much.
Isaac is a Libriomancer - he uses magic to hone the collective imagination of readers into reality, and "pull" things out of books. He works for the Porters, who are sworn to protect people from magic, and to keep magic secret. Unfortunately, he also flubbed his field assignments and has been busted back to Catalog work in a small town of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
That is, until a trio of vampires show up at his library to avenge an attack by the other Porters. He's saved in the nick of time by the bodyguard of the psychologist that stripped him of his field credentials. The two of them are left without allies or a plan, and are faced with the necessity of finding out just what's going on.
The ensuing adventures blend action, mystery, investigation and a bit of romance. The book is a smooth, engaging read with characters that you both love, and love to hate. The clues that the duo gather point first one way, then another before they finally figure out what's going on, and who's behind it.
I definitely recommend "Libriomancer" for any fan of fantasy adventure from 12 to 120.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
While LIBROMANCER is great for all audiences and is super fun for lovers or urban fantasy, it's clear it was written for one specific group: bookworms. I'm not just talking about Isaac's ability to pull objects out of books (which is one of the coolest powers EVER), or the many, many references made to classic tales all across the span of time, but by completely divesting in the power that words and stories have over our creativity and imagination. It truly makes you appreciate what authors go through when they write a novel, and I absolutely loved that aspect of it.
That said, it made the story and magic a little complicated, and sometimes I needed to pause to remember what was going on. It usually didn't take that much to draw me back in, but it was especially complicated at the end, even though the ending was pretty sweet.
The characters are great. Isaac is that book nerd we all know and love, and Lena is an absolute goddess in my eyes. I absolutely love her backstory and the way she views the world, and she's no slouch in a fight either.
There's plenty of action to carry the story along, and it's never the same thanks to the "weaponized" books Isaac carries around. I highly recommend LIBROMANCER to anyone who has a deep love for books, imagination, fun, and a desire to see the toughest nymph to ever hit the page. I'm really looking forward to the sequel!
That said, it made the story and magic a little complicated, and sometimes I needed to pause to remember what was going on. It usually didn't take that much to draw me back in, but it was especially complicated at the end, even though the ending was pretty sweet.
The characters are great. Isaac is that book nerd we all know and love, and Lena is an absolute goddess in my eyes. I absolutely love her backstory and the way she views the world, and she's no slouch in a fight either.
There's plenty of action to carry the story along, and it's never the same thanks to the "weaponized" books Isaac carries around. I highly recommend LIBROMANCER to anyone who has a deep love for books, imagination, fun, and a desire to see the toughest nymph to ever hit the page. I'm really looking forward to the sequel!
samrushingbooks's review
5.0
This is probably the most amazing book I have read so far this year. it is what my mom would probably refer to as a book for geeks. There were so many references to sci-fi and fantasy books, as well as numerous references to Doctor Who and Firefly. I didn't want to put Libriomancer down but when I wasn't reading it I was basically obsessively thinking about it with a feeling of compulsion to get back to reading. The concept is one that I have dreamed about before. what bibliophile hasn't dreamed of having the ability to reach into a book and pull out an object from that world/universe? I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for the next one in the series.
fae713's review
5.0
This was a random pick up from B&N, mainly because I felt guilty that I hadn't bought from a brick and mortar store in a while. Wow did I make a good choice. This is just plain a fun book. It's easy to jump into, the protagonist is interesting and his reactions to the world are really similar to my own - he's basically always asking "what if...?" It's great. It's high on my recommendation list for anyone that is wanting a fun, urban fantasy.
kimlynn77's review
3.0
Harry Dresden-lite. Is interesting enough that I will read the next one to see if they improve.
xjinxedx's review
3.0
I should absolutely love and adore this book. As someone who loves adventures and libraries, I should have devoured this series but in all honesty, I couldn't sit down and finish it. I made it about halfway through before I set it down and never picked it up again. It really sicks because I wanted to love this so bad.