October 12, 2020
In Cogman’s thrilling seventh Invisible Library fantasy (after The Secret Chapter), Irene Winters, a time-traveling and alternate world–jumping librarian, discovers the only thing worse than people trying to kill her is when the people trying to kill her should already be dead. Irene has grown accustomed to disaster striking while she’s in the process of buying (or more illicitly acquiring) rare books for the library, but she’s unprepared to face off against Lord Guantes, who she distinctly remembers killing, and Alberich, a traitor to the library who’s been presumed dead. Somehow they’re both back and gunning for Irene and her lover, Kai, a dragon, and her surly new fae apprentice, Catherine. Worse still—and certainly more insulting—is that they seem to be treating vengeance against her as merely a fringe benefit of a larger and more sinister plot. Without sacrificing the adventure that is a hallmark of the series, Cogman pulls Irene through a multilevel maze of doubts and paranoia that will have readers jumping at shadows, too. Fans will be delighted to find this series still going strong. Agent: Lucienne Diver, the Knight Agency.
November 1, 2020
Irene Winters, librarian, spy, and treaty representative for the recently signed truce in the previous Invisible Library series entry, The Secret Chapter (2018), is having a bad week. She and her lover, the dragon prince Kai, are being hounded by assassins. Irene's new intern, Catherine, niece of the duplicitous Fae Lord Silver, is overly enthusiastic and has an outrageously romantic notion of what it means to be a librarian. The approval for her training came with a warning that no harm must come to the up-and-coming apprentice while Irene attempts the previously believed-to-be-impossible feat of getting a Fae into the Library. Irene's friend Peregrine Vale, the quintessential Victorian private detective in pursuit of a Machiavellian criminal mastermind, has also been targeted. And another dragon, Kai's insufferable older brother, decides to join their investigation despite having no field experience. Old foes who had been thought dead have plans to overturn the treaty and are intent on using Irene to achieve their horrendous purpose. The lightning-fast pace, colorful characters, and a surprising revelation will thrill fantasy fans eager for more of Cogman's Invisible Library adventures.
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December 1, 2020
As a librarian and spy, Irene has faced adversity before, yet now with assassination and kidnapping attempts on her and her companions, things have never been as dire. Trying to train a new assistant during all of this is daunting, and when that assistant is fae it is that much harder. The tentative peace among humans, dragons, and fae is threatened, and Irene must once again use her librarian skills and words to stop everything from unraveling. The interplay between factions is lively, matched by the fast-paced plot and revelations, and the family ties of the main characters continue to expand their internal thoughts and interactions. VERDICT The seventh novel (after The Secret Chapter) keeps Irene's story moving forward with revealed secrets and worldbuilding. Blending fantasy, mystery, and a hint of romance, Cogman continues to produce a solid series.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
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