Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

“All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I was so excited to read this title! Who wouldn't want to read about books and libraries set in a fantasy world?. Every review I have read about this book raved about how good it was and I was not disappointed. Our main character, Elisabeth Scrivener, such a cool name for a librarian, has spent her entire life within the walls of the library of Summershall. An orphan, Elisabeth dreams of becoming a warden and protecting the world from grimoires. In this book, grimoires are living, breathing and dangerous things.

Besides books and libraries, this book is about acceptance ignoring stereotypes, and how strong non-romantic love can be. This is a stand-alone novel that is easily one of my favorite reads of 2019. 

Visit Margaret Rogerson’s website.

Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the series, Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you. 

“To save the Great Library, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill put themselves in danger in the next thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Finally, all of our beloved characters begin to converge on Alexandria to take down the Archivist and restore the Great Library to its former mission. Told from several points of view, readers will be both captivated and heartbroken by where the storyline goes.

The Great Library will conclude with book five, Sword and Pen, on July 9, 2019.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Ink and Bone, and Paper and Fire, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Words can kill.

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny…

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library…” - taken from Goodreads.com

The stakes are even higher for Jess Brightwell and his friends as they attempt to bring down the Archivist and restore honor to the Great Library of Alexandria. Starting with the cliffhanger ending from Paper and Fire,  Jess and his friends find themselves as prisoners. Fans of the series find out with another cliffhanger ending, Ms. Caine is expanding what was once a trilogy into a five book series.

Book four is expected to be published in 2018.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Ink and Bone, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control… “ - taken from Goodreads.com

A continuation of Jess Brightwell’s epic journey to bring down the Great Library. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, especially since several of Jess’ friends are in trouble. More twists and turns take place with a stunning conclusion that will leave readers awaiting Ash and Quill due out in 2017.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 1)

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.… - Goodreads.com

Book two, Paper and Fire, will be out July 5, 2016.

Visit Rachel Caine's website.

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

"What if fairy tale magic really existed?"

Elizabeth Rew's life is straight out of a Grimm fairytale that she loved to read so much with her mother as a child. Her mother has died. Elizabeth is friendless at a new school she now goes to because the college expenses of her two older stepsisters. Life at home isn't much better with her father wrapped up in the whims of his new wife leaving little time for her. When assigned a term paper by her history teacher, Elizabeth enthusiastically writes about her beloved Grimm Brothers. Her teacher, Mr. Mauskopf, asks if she could use a part-time job. He refers her to his friend, Dr. Lee Rust, the head librarian at the New York Circulating Materials Repository. After a strange interview, Elizabeth is given the job.

The Circulating Materials Repository is a library of sorts. Not the kind where patrons check out books, but objects. Elizabeth soon falls in love with her job as she is very intrigued by the materials housed in the Repository's collection. She begins to form friendships with several of her fellow pages; Marc Merritt, Anjali Rao and Aaron Rosenberg. After passing a test, Elizabeth is soon given access to the elusive Grimm Collection. The collection consists of objects that the Brothers Grimm amassed related to their stories. Elizabeth soon realizes that magic does exist and that it can be dangerous at times. She relishes her new found responsibilities, but soon discovers that someone is stealing objects from the Grimm Collection for their own gain.

Join Elizabeth, Anjali, Marc and Aaron as they try and solve the mystery of the winged creature and who exactly is stealing the items from the repository before Elizabeth is blamed.

Visit Polly Shuman's website.