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_aoibheann_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
asreadbykat's review against another edition
5.0
True Rating: 5/5 Stars
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, Lots of guns and shooting, Kidnapping, Hostage situations, Forcibly drugging a person, Politically/Culturally motivated suicide
My Thoughts
"Irene hoped that none of her enemies ever realized how much she was driven by an urge to find out how, what, where, when and, in this case, who."
As much as I've been loving The Invisible Library series, this is easily the strongest, most well-written installment so far. While all the books have been enjoyable, this is the first one where I legitimately couldn't find anything to be disappointed in or complain about. It's the most thought-out, tightly woven plot and it really showcases the author's growth and understanding of their own world.
One reason this book works so much better is because the author has finally branched out into using different POVs. Given how invested Irene herself is in her partners, not to mention the readers, it was always a downside for me to not know what the other characters were thinking or doing off-screen. There was a little of change via notes and letters in The Burning Page, but this is the first time we actually had full chapters in Kai's POV.
That change in POV really did add to the story. It increased the tension, as we got to see the troubles all of our characters had, and it finally gave us some insight into the mind of our favorite dragon. Going from Irene's slightly chaotic mind to Kai's more orderly and slightly privileged mindset made for a great change of pace, and I'm really hoping that the POV changes continue in the consecutive installments.
The plot was also very tightly done. Every action and reaction, every cause and effect, felt fully plotted out, consequences were where they needed to be, and no one got away freely. If I had to say one negative thing about the plot, it's that by the end there were possibly too many different characters/elements involved at times, but to me it felt natural and not at all overdone.
Overall, this is my favorite book in the series so far, and I'm extremely excited to read the next. If you enjoyed the first three, you'll LOVE this one.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, Lots of guns and shooting, Kidnapping, Hostage situations, Forcibly drugging a person, Politically/Culturally motivated suicide
My Thoughts
"Irene hoped that none of her enemies ever realized how much she was driven by an urge to find out how, what, where, when and, in this case, who."
As much as I've been loving The Invisible Library series, this is easily the strongest, most well-written installment so far. While all the books have been enjoyable, this is the first one where I legitimately couldn't find anything to be disappointed in or complain about. It's the most thought-out, tightly woven plot and it really showcases the author's growth and understanding of their own world.
One reason this book works so much better is because the author has finally branched out into using different POVs. Given how invested Irene herself is in her partners, not to mention the readers, it was always a downside for me to not know what the other characters were thinking or doing off-screen. There was a little of change via notes and letters in The Burning Page, but this is the first time we actually had full chapters in Kai's POV.
That change in POV really did add to the story. It increased the tension, as we got to see the troubles all of our characters had, and it finally gave us some insight into the mind of our favorite dragon. Going from Irene's slightly chaotic mind to Kai's more orderly and slightly privileged mindset made for a great change of pace, and I'm really hoping that the POV changes continue in the consecutive installments.
The plot was also very tightly done. Every action and reaction, every cause and effect, felt fully plotted out, consequences were where they needed to be, and no one got away freely. If I had to say one negative thing about the plot, it's that by the end there were possibly too many different characters/elements involved at times, but to me it felt natural and not at all overdone.
Overall, this is my favorite book in the series so far, and I'm extremely excited to read the next. If you enjoyed the first three, you'll LOVE this one.
cassimiranda's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
We're back on a library adventure, this one heavily focused on dragon politics. A liberian is rumored to have betrayed the foundational neutrality which leads Irene on a new dangerous investigation. Met expectations!
missnatalieann's review against another edition
5.0
So far this one has been my favorite of the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1920's speakeasy age of America. The narrator did a wonderful job with all the accents and the action just kept on coming. I am starting to see some growth in Irene and she has made a name for herself throughout the library and across many worlds. Whether that is a good or bad thing is yet to be seen. I hope many of the themes from this book will carry over to the next.
thisjustem's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Yet another excellent addition to an imaginative world! (Worlds, actually, I suppose.) The ending was very clever and the final pages so so sweet! Can’t wait to read the next one!
hlibby96'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? No
4.0
eringow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.75
emlb228's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0