Genevieve Cogman

It's taken me two and a half years to pick up the concluding volume of The Invisible Library after I correctly predicted the major "revelation" since finding out about a particular plot strand in the first book, but I really wanted to find out how the story ends. However, I struggled to get into it, not least because the plot seemed to be treading water for the first third of the book, at which point I skim-read to the end. Unfortunately nothing of what I read made me want to reconsider and read the book properly, though admittedly there were one or two neat ideas. It's possible that I simply wasn't in the right mind set any more, and I struggled to engage with the characters. What a shame after what I thought was a brilliant and highly original start to the series.… (more)

Irene is a Librarian, but maybe not like what you would expect. She travels between worlds to collect rare books for the Invisible Library, an enormous, sprawling complex that exists at some intersection between the worlds. Returning from a taxing assignment, she's hoping for some down time before getting sent out again, but no such luck: her supervisor immediately sends her out with a trainee, Kai, on his first assignment. They're looking for a rare edition of a Brothers Grimm collection in a world tainted by Chaos, the natural enemy of the orderly Library. And things just get crazier from there...

I've been hearing about this series here and there for some time, and I was pretty sure I would enjoy it -- and I was correct! I love bookish fantasy, and this one has interesting settings and strongly written characters and a fast-paced plot. It got me through a long car trip, and then I had to keep listening until I finished up, because I was at a point where I didn't want to set it down. I'm pleased to note that it's a series, and have the second book already reserved for future listening. Recommended!… (more)