Book 656: The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library #1) – Genevieve Cogman

Why is it every time I say I’m not starting a series, I accidentally stumble into one!? I picked this up when we were visiting the UK last summer because it sounded interesting and there wasn’t a mention of a series anywhere on the cover/back blurb. But of course, as I’m drawn in I realize it’s going to be a much larger story than one book can contain and I find out it’s a six book series, SO FAR. There’s at least one more unpublished. BAH!

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series over time, but I really didn’t want to jump into another unfinished series. I don’t know why, but I’ve become the person who likes to know there’s an ending and that I can reach that ending. This is across all my media these days, not just books. but I don’t want to go on and on about that, so let’s talk about this book.

Obviously I was going to be drawn to this book. It’s a book about books and libraries and librarians who jump between alternate worlds to protect books and bring books back to their library which lies between all the worlds—hello Lev Grossman’s The Magicians Trilogy (here, here, and here) and Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series (here, here, here, here, and here, that I’ve read so far). It was full of literary references, fantastical beings, intrigue, books, and politics (among other things).

The Library itself and the Librarians are fascinating and I hope we learn more as the series advances, especially about the older librarians—they sound fatalistically creepy and secret grand-master-y pulling strings and playing politics with others’ lives.

“That was the whole point of the Library: as far as she’s been taught, anyway. It wasn’t about a higher mission to save worlds. It was about finding unique works of fiction and saving them in a place out of time and space. Perhaps some people might think that was a petty way to spend eternity, but Irene was happy with her choice. Anyone who really loved a good story would understand.” (16)

“Irene didn’t dignify his question with an answer. Besides, he’d learn better. A Librarian’s mission to seek out books for the Library developed, after a few years, into an urge to find out everything that was going on around one. It wasn’t even a personal curiosity. It was a simple, impersonal, uncontrollable need to know. One came to terms with it.” (111)

“‘And lastly,’ Irene said,a little embarrassed that she had to point it out, ‘all of us who are sealed to the library are people who have chosen this way of life because we loved books. None of us wanted to save worlds. I mean, not that we object to saving worlds …’ She shrugged, picking up her teacup again. ‘We want books. We love books. We live with books. Someone who joined the Library just so they could try to use the Library to benefit their own world … well, I suppose it would be ethical, but it isn’t the purpose of the library.'” (182)

I really enjoyed Irene and Kai as characters, there is so much there that I know will be unpacked across the series and I’m not talking about Kai’s ancestry, Irene’s parents, or even the is there-isn’t there a romantic entanglement looming? I’m not sure how I feel about the main antagonist, Alberich. There’s definitely intrigue and a whole good(ish) vs evil duality being built, but I’m not sure it’s that clear cut (see reference to grand-master-y string pullers above). It’ll be interesting to see how Alberich and Irene’s interactions evolve over the series, I’m not sure how they can’t even though this book made it seem like he was barred from the world for good. We’ll see.

I really enjoyed Cogman’s humor, it’s quintessentially British with it’s hint of sarcasm and dryness and full of wit. I’m glad this first one was set in an alternate-London because it reiterated this, if i would’ve been set elsewhere I’m not sure I would’ve assumed she was a British author.

“She considered running her hands through her hair, having a hysterical fit, and sitting down and not doing anything for the next few hours while she tried to figure out a way to avoid the job. ‘They have steam-level technology, though there was a side-note that recent “innovative advances” had been made. The chaos infestation is taking the form of folklore-related supernatural manifestations, with occasional scientific aberrancy.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘You can expect to find vampires. Werewolves. Fictional creations that go bump in the night. You might also find their technology working in unexpected ways.'” (36)

The one thing I could take or leave was the steampunk aspect. It helped provide a distinct setting for the book, but I feel like I would’ve liked it just as much on a high tech society world or in an every-day world like ours, or maybe even a fully fantasy world (I’m not sure they’ll go there from the dichotomy being built).

Recommendation: I thoroughly enjoyed the read. It didn’t have the strongest world building for a first novel into a pretty lengthy series, but by the time it wrapped up I was invested in the story and the characters, so worth the read in my opinion. I already have the next book in the series, The Masked City on hold at my local library 😀

Opening Line: “Irene passed the mop across the stone floor in smooth, careful strokes, idly admiring the gleam of wet flagstones in the lantern-light.”

Closing Line: “She just hoped she lived long enough to enjoy it.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)