The Mortal Word (The Invisible Library #5) by Genevieve Cogman

  

A corrupt countess

A spy in danger

And an assassin at large 

In the latest novel in Genevieve Cogman's historical fantasy series, the fate of worlds lies in the balance. When a dragon is murdered at a peace conference, time-traveling Librarian spy Irene must solve the case to keep the balance between order, chaos... and the Library. 

When Irene returns to London after a relatively straightforward book theft in Vienna, Bradamant informs her that there is a top secret dragon-Fae peace conference in progress that the Library is meditating, but that the second-in-command dragon has been stabbed to death. Tasked with solving the case, Vale and Irene immediately go to 1890s Paris.

Once they arrive, it seems that the murder victim had uncovered evidence suggesting that he may have found proof of treachery by one of more Librarians. But to ensure the peace of the conference, some Librarians are already hostages in the dragon and Fae courts. To save the captives, including her parents, Irene must get to the bottom of this murder-but was it dragon, Fae, or even a Librarian who committed the crime? 

Review

I ABSOLUTELY ♥ this series!

If you haven't read the rest of the series, check out my review of the first 3 books (I sped through them super fast and decided to do 1 review about all 3), HERE.

I will try not to include too many spoilers about the first 4 books, but it is kind of unavoidable.

SPOILER ALERT: I will try to keep them to a minimum though

This book picks up where book # 4, The Lost Plot, left off, with Kai no longer in service to the Library.

I'm sad that Kai wasn't in this book more! He is one of my favorite characters! I love him and Irene as a team! It sucks that they aren't working as one anymore!

I am glad he was in it, though, and of course, I am still in ♥ with Irene! She is a total badass!

This book, like the last, is set in the same world as the first 3 books, but since the original conflict with Alberich was resolved (we hope), this book follows a new main plot line. Irene and Vale are asked to go to 1890s Paris and solve a dragon murder.

While this book was a bit different than the rest of the series, I found it just as enjoyable. The author introduced some very interesting new characters that I really liked. Up until this book, I wasn't a fan of the fae, but I started to like a couple of them in this book.

If you liked the rest of the series, you will certainly like this book. It is mostly set at one time, in one city, unlike some of the other books in this series, but the author still continues to world build and share much more about the dragons, fae, and Librarians that we haven't learned yet. Also, the character development continues, but the new characters are my favorite part of this book.

I just read that Genevieve Cogman has been contracted for up to 8 books, so she plans to write at least 8 Invisible Library books! It makes me so happy that I do not have to say goodbye to Irene, her friends, and her world yet. However, a release date has not been announced for book #6, so I may have to wait a while to see what happens next.

Until then, I will be waiting not so patiently to see what happens next!

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Plot (The Invisible Library #4) by Genevieve Cogman

A covert mission
A royal demand
And a race against time

The fourth title in Genevieve Cogman's witty and wonderful The Invisible Library series, The Lost Plot is an action-packed literary adventure. 

In a 1930s-esqu Chicago, Prohibition is in force, fedoras, flapper dresses and tommy guns are in fashion, and intrigue is afoot. Intrepid Librarians Irene and Kai find themselves caught in the middle of a dragon vs dragon context. It seems a young Librarian has become tangled in this conflict, and if they can't extricate him there could be serious political repercussions for the mysterious Library. And, as the balance of  power across mighty factions hangs in the balance, this could even trigger war.

Irene and Kai find themselved trapped in a race against time (and dragons) to procure a rare book. They'll face gangsters, blackmail and fiendish security systems. And if this doesn't end well, it could have dire consequences for Irene's job. And incidentally, for her life...

Review

I absolutely loved the first three books in The Invisible Library series! So, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I was super-excited! 

If you haven't read the other books, check out my review of them HERE. 

It took me a little longer to get into this book than it did with the first three in the series. This may have just been because it didn't follow the same main plot lines that had been for the most part, resolved at the end of the third book. 

A few chapters in, I got sucked into the new plot, and by about half-way through the book, I couldn't put it down! I read the second half of the book in a few hours. 

As always, I ♥ ♥ ♥ Irene and Kai!!! I ♥ both of them, and they make a great team!

This book was a tad different than the first three, but if you like the other Invisible Library books I guarantee you will like this one!

Oh, and the ending was awesome! There wasn't a huge cliffhanger, but it was definitely enough to make me anxious to see what happens next. It just sucks that I have to wait until who knows when to read the next book! (There is no title or cover for it yet, and there is no intended release date listed on GoodReads.)

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

               

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series. 

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so, she must play a deadly game of deceit - and one slip may spell doom, not only for Feyre, but for her world, as well. 

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Review

In case you haven't read the first two books in the series, I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum.

The second I finished A Court of Mist and Fury, I immediately started reading this book. I am so glad that I checked out both book at the same time. 

I can't believe I waited so long after reading ACOTAR to read the next two books in the series! They were AMAZING! They made me laugh. They made me cry (like a baby). They made me fear for the characters' lives at some points, and feel a whole wide range of emotions in between these. 

While the majority of the first two books take place in the Spring and the Night Courts, this book allows us to travel more around Prythian and get a glimpse into life at the other course, and we learn about the High Lord his book absolutely blurred the lines between friends and enemies at some points. I loved it!

I ♥ ♥ ♥ Rhys! I've never really identified with people that get crushes on fictional characters from books, but Rhys definitely gave me all the feels!

Reading this book made it official, Sarah J. Maas is definitely my new favorite author! This book exceeded my expectations, as always. After reading ACOMAF and this book, I'm not sure if I think this series or the Throne of Glass series is better.

I am thrilled that GoodReads shows three more ACOTAR books and one novella. However, the novella will not be released until May 2018, and all book #4 says is expected publication: 2019.

I still have book #6 in the Throne of Glass series, Tower of Dawn, to read before then, but I don't know what I'm going to do with out any Sarah J. Maas to hold me over until then... I'm already considering re-reading this series...

        

     

The Rise of the Dawnstar Blog Tour and Giveaway!

 

The Rise of the Dawnstar
Farah Oomerbhoy
(The Avalonia Chronicles #2)
Publication date: April 24th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes.
The seven kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling and evil is spreading across the land like a plague. Queen Morgana is close to finding a way to open The Book of Abraxas and it’s only a matter of time until she uses the power trapped inside its pages to enslave the entire world.
With Avalonia growing more dangerous by the day, Aurora must travel through war-torn lands and deep into the heart of the fae kingdom of Elfi. Her goal is to find a legendary weapon infused with the last of the realm’s ancient magic—the only weapon in the world powerful enough to stop the queen.
Aurora might have survived her first battle against Morgana, but the true fight to save her kingdom and restore her throne has only just begun…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:
Farah Oomerbhoy is the international bestselling author of The Avalonia Chronicles. Her first book, The Last of the Firedrakes, was originally published on Wattpad where it gained nearly two million reads and a Watty Award. Since publication, her debut has gone on to win a silver medal in IBPA’s Benjamin Franklin Awards and the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, along with winning a finalist placement in the USA Best Book Awards. Farah loves the fantastical and magical and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest. With a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Mumbai, Farah spends her creative time crafting magical worlds for young adults. She lives with her family in Mumbai, India.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review 

I read The Last of the Firedrakes two years ago and remembered really liking it, so when I got the opportunity to read an ARC of the sequel, I was super excited! I had to go back and read a little about the first book and my review of it to refresh myself on what happened.

Let me first say that my immediate reaction after finishing the last page of this book was one of anger and frustration! I can't believe the author ended it like that! I checked GoodReads immediately after finishing the book, and the third book in the series is not even listed with an unknown title/cover/release date yet. :(

After I calmed down a little bit (kind of), here were my reactions to the rest of the book:

The first book was good, but I liked this one better!

The author did an excellent job of world building and character development in the first book. In this book, she expands on that and gives us a glimpse into a totally different part of that world. We learned about some of the fae in the first book, but we get to enter their part of the world in this one and learn way more about the fae that are not living among the mages, hiding in fear.

Also, the love interest in the first book was alright, but this book added a whole other layer and made it more interesting.

I noted in my review of The Last of the Firedrakes that there was some repetitive language used throughout the book. While I did think the main character was a little repetitive in this book, I didn't catch the same repetitive language from the first book.

I also have to say that I found it a little annoying how low Aurora's self-esteem was at times and how many times she kept reminding herself that she needed to be less trusting of others. Most of the time, she didn't do anything different to try to protect herself, so it was just annoying and made her seem naive. Besides extending the ending, that is probably the only other thing I would have about this book.

I was excited to read this book because I really liked the first one, now I'm dying to read the next one!

If you haven't read the first book, I encourage you to read it so that you're caught up in time to read this one before the third book in the series is released. I guarantee after you read this book, you will be counting the days until you can find out what happens next!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

    

GIVEAWAY!
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The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman

The first installment of an adventure featuring stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies - think Doctor Who with librarian spies!

Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case - permanently...

 Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creature and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own. 

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake. 

Review

I have wanted to read The Masked City so bad, since it was first released, but I never came across a copy and there were a lot of people ahead of me, on hold to download a copy from the library. So, it would have taken forever.

Then, I came across The Burning Page on NetGalley. I read the description and was interested, not even realizing that it was the third (and I until just not, what I thought was the final, but keep reading) book in the same series as The Masked City.

I wasn't even aware of this fact until I was approved to receive a review copy of the book, and thus began my wonderful journey through this magnificent series.

Background from Book One, The Invisible Library:

The first book explains all about the secret library that exists across worlds in an alternative reality. The Librarians' purpose is to "obtain" (and sometimes steal) rare books from various worlds in order to preserve them, which helps them maintain order. The first book is the first of such adventures for Irene, a junior Librarian, and her new assistant, Kai.

Throughout the story, all kinds of obstacles prevent them from retrieving the book in a world filled with chaos and magic. They make friends and enemies along the way, and the ending is the perfect set up for the second book, The Masked City.

No spoilers, but oh boy was a happy that I waited to read The Masked City.

The Masked City was worth the wait, but I am soooo glad that I didn't have to wait to read if after finishing The Invisible Library. I would have cried.

Instead of crying and wishing that I had a time machine to travel to the point in the future where I could pick up a copy, I was able to start reading the second book immediately after finishing the first.

While I like the cover that is listed on the main GoodReads site for The Burning Page, I have to show you the cover that was presented on the NetGalley site and was used for some editions of the book.

So, I received my copy of The Burning Page and realized that I absolutely had to get copies of the first two books so that I could review it. I know, torture, right?! 

The Burning Page starts out with an Inter-Library notice of the status of several alternate worlds, letting the Librarians know which worlds are safe, and which are prohibited from travel. Some are at war, some are experiencing power struggles between the fae (who crave chaos) and the dragons (who strive for order), and some have been looking a little too closely into the Library's dealings, making them not safe for travel, as Librarians must never reveal the existence of the Library or their relationship to it. 

Apparently some worlds have cloned dinosaurs. I particularly like this quote in one of the notices:

In fact, we wish to remind all Librarians that they are here to collect books, not dinosaurs. Those Librarians who have problems distinguishing between the two should take a refresher course in Library basics.

Again, I am so glad that I did not have to wait read this book! I would have cried if I had to wait to see how the story ends...

At the time I wrote the above statement, I thought that The Burning Page was the last book in the series. However, just now, as I was pulling the covers for this post, I saw that another book has been added, and I cannot contain by excitement! Here is the cover that is posted for The Lost Plot, scheduled to be released this December.

The description was finally added for The Lost Plot yet on GoodReads!

The fourth title in Genevieve Cogman's witty and wonderful The Invisible Library series, The Lost Plot is an action-packed literary adventure. 

In a 1930s-esque Chigago, Prohibition is in force, fedoras, flapper dresses and tommy gus are in fashion, and intrigue is afoot. Intrepid Librarians Irene and Kai find themselves caught in the middle of a dragon vs. dragon contest. It seems a young Librarian has become tangled in this conflict, and if they can't extricate him, there could be serious political repercussions for the mysterious Library. And, as the balance of power across mighty factions hangs in the balance, this could even trigger war. 

Irene and Kai find themselves trapped in a race against time (and dragons) to procure a rare book. They'll face gansters, blackmail and fiendish security systems. And if this doesn't end well, it could have dire consequences on Irene's job. And, incidentally, for her life...

So, thank you, NetGalley for alleviating my sorrow at having to wait to read The Burning Page. I will be anxiously waiting for the chance to read The Lost Plot!