In
a world where the Great Library of Alexandria rules through
cruelty and magic, not everyone is willing to be slaves to
the Library's hoarding of books and knowledge. Jess Brightwell
and his friends have made it out of London. In fact, they’ve
gone all the way to America, only to find they've leapt out
of the frying pan and into the fire, literally. In Philadelphia,
the group is held prisoner by Burners, people who will do
anything to stay free, including burn.
The Great
Library series is a true serial, dropping you in the middle
of the action set up in the previous novel and ending on a
tense cliff-hanger, so if you're a reader who hates to be
left dangling and breathless, you might want to wait until
all the books in the series are available before jumping in.
As I'm jumping into the series on the third book, I worried
about being able to follow the storyline in such a rich and
complex world, but the author has created such fascinating,
believable characters that it was easy to get caught up in
their moment-by-moment peril, even while working out the past
plot points I missed. I loved the use of magic in the book,
both the good of it and the dangers. It's clear that every
character is undergoing changes and growth as they battle
for a future where the Library is again truly living up to
its potential for good for all people. The author has a lot
of balls in the air, but she juggles them well, and I found
the character interaction intriguing. These characters are
people who care deeply for one another and for their cause,
and it was easy to get caught up and care along with them.
All in all, a strong book in what is clearly an intriguing
series.
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