A
librarian and a spy, Irene and her assistant Kai are stuck
with the worst of the missions the library can assign. But
Irene expected their time on probation to be like that. What
she didn't expect were the attempts on her life at every turn.
But who is trying to kill her? Could it be the evil Alberich,
who wants to destroy the library? Or is it one of the many
people Irene has rubbed the wrong way? With no way to be sure
who is friend and who is foe, Irene must save the library,
her life, and her friends, but is that more than even a librarian
can do? As with previous Invisible Library novels, this story
was a lively combination of spy novel, Victorian fantasy,
and rollicking adventure. I enjoyed the series continuing
exploration of friendship, duty and trust. I have to admit,
I would have enjoyed seeing more of Vale, though I appreciate
a series where the female main character doesn't have to lean
too heavily on her male friends. Plus, I love any story that
begins with an assumption not only of the multiverse, but
that multiple worlds can be entered and explored. It made
for some exciting moments. I also like the author's handling
of the librarian's superpower. Superpowers always have to
be balanced by weakness so we don't wonder why the main character
doesn't just solve everything right at the beginning, and
this series handles that well. The book also teased some things
that left me looking forward to what happens next for these
engaging characters in this very unique world. I recommend
collecting all three books for a great marathon of reading,
this entertaining series will make you glad you did.
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