I’ve read most of the books in the “Invisible Library” series now and I’d have to say that this one connected with the me the most – which is perhaps a bit strange since this one seemed heavier on the fantasy (dragons and fae) than what I recall from the other books in the series.
Here Irene (a Librarian) and her trainee, Kai, travel to New York circa 1930 (or a world resembling this) to retrieve a book they’ve been commissioned to find, and to find out why the local Librarian has chosen sides. It wouldn’t normally be in Irene’s nature to retrieve a rare book for anyone other than the Library itself, but this particular request came from a dragon and dragons don’t typically ask for help, so Irene agrees to look into it.
Irene will encounter a fair amount of betrayal along the way and she will challenge the dragons – which never bodes well.
One of the aspects that I really liked about this volume is that we get a solid look at the politics and social structure of the dragons. Author Genevieve Cogman not only gives us a solid story in her familiar Invisible Library universe, but expands that universe with a little more insight into some of the other characters.
I would think, however, that if this were the first book I picked up in the Invisible Library series I would be completely lost. Irene’s connection to and work with the Invisible Library takes a back seat to the presiding story. In fact, taking on this job, brought to her by a dragon, goes against what the Library stands for. Of course, if you’ve read any of the books you already know that Irene tends to do as she pleases most of the time, and she does try to explain that she’s not for hire … but goes to work anyway.
Mostly this was just a lot of fun -a great summer read – and recommended for fans of fantasy/urban fantasy reads.
Looking for a good book? The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman is the fourth book in the Invisible Library series and a swiftly moving fantasy that should please fans of the genre.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
* * * * * *
The Lost Plot
author: Genevieve Cogman
series: The Invisible Library #4
publisher: Ace Books
ISBN: 039958742X
paperback, 369 pages
