Sunday, April 09, 2017

Bookish Thoughts: The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman

For the love of God, can't you give me anything  challenging? ~ Opening of The Burning Page


The Burning Page (The Invisible Library, #3) by Genevieve Cogman
Roc, 2016
Fantasy; 368 pgs
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads Summary: 
Never judge a book by its cover...

Due to her involvement in an unfortunate set of mishaps between the dragons and the Fae, Librarian spy Irene is stuck on probation, doing what should be simple fetch-and-retrieve projects for the mysterious Library. But trouble has a tendency of finding both Irene and her apprentice, Kai [...] and, before they know it, they are entangled in more danger than they can handle...

Irene’s longtime nemesis, Alberich, has once again been making waves across multiple worlds, and, this time, his goals are much larger than obtaining a single book or wreaking vengeance upon a single Librarian. He aims to destroy the entire Library—and make sure Irene goes down with it.

With so much at stake, Irene will need every tool at her disposal to stay alive. But even as she draws her allies close around her, the greatest danger might be lurking from somewhere close—someone she never expected to betray her...

I just love this series. Irene is braver than I sometimes expect her to be--which is silly given I've read both earlier books in the series and she is always brave. The Library is being threatened and Irene finds herself at the heart of it when the Library's arch-nemesis Alberich tries to draw her to his side. I didn't find this novel quite as intense as the other two, but I did like it. We learn a bit more about the Library and its role as well as the unrest within the Library itself. 

Irene is sent to a realm high in Order (the last book she was in a high chaos world controlled by the fae) and she must retrieve a book that has proven to be quite elusive to other Librarians who have gone after it. She and Kai run into quite a bit of trouble, much of which they are able to get out of--but not without drawing attention to themselves.

We see a different side of Vale, the private detective both Irene and Kai are quite fond of in their assigned alternate London. He is suffering the consequences of events from the previous book. Irene wants to help him, but isn't sure how. She knows something must be done, regardless.

There is a particularly cry-worthy scene for those of us who love books--or rather one that might make you cringe--it did me. But maybe not. It really was the only recourse, sad as that may be.

Although not my favorite in the series, ultimately, I enjoyed The Burning Page very much and cannot wait until the next book. Like its predecessors, it is fast paced and a fun read. I really must know what the fallout will be after this last adventure!

To learn more about Genevieve Cogman and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads  


© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

20 comments:

  1. I am glad that you could enjoy this despite not being your favorite in the series.

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    1. Cindy - It's a really fun series, and there's always bound to be books I like better than others, right?

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  2. I love that it's set in a library but don't think I'd enjoy the dragon aspect of the series.

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    1. Kathy - It's a rather unique library too! I know you don't especially like magic though, so this series probably isn't for you, I'm afraid.

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  3. I got the first book in this series and am excited to read it though it's a few books down in the pile. I'm really excited to see that this is a series you really love. I'm looking forward to meeting Irene. She sounds amazing.

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    1. Katherine - I hope you like the series when you try it. I always picture Irene was older than she probably actually is. I'm not quite sure why . . . I do love her character though.

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  4. How are the Fae depicted in these books? I'm very picky about this. The most "accurate" depictions I've come across with regard to faery lore are the Wicked Lovely series. Melissa Marr really did her research.

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    1. Nicole - I haven't read Marr's series and so can't really say if this series is like this or not, I'm afraid. I'd say they are more traditional in some respects, but not so in others. Human sized with magical abilities. No wings. They aren't exactly good but they aren't always bad either--kind of in between. I don't trust the fae in these books. They are very egocentric and very much out for themselves.

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  5. Not every book in a series manages to be equally good, but I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway. I just finished the latest book in The Others series by Anne Bishop, and it was not as good as previous books either--at least for me.

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    1. Jenclair - I am sorry Etched in Bone wasn't better for you. I still need to read Marked in Flesh. I have heard others were disappointed in the final book too. :-(

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  6. I've read The Invisible Library, but I haven't read the second book is this series yet. I do really like these characters though, especially Kai.

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  7. I'm still on the fence with this series (mixed reviews); still I love the sound of the library setting and that there are dragons and fae. :)

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    1. Melody - I really enjoy this series and hope you will too if you decide to give it a try.

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  8. I enjoyed this one as well. I think that the first book in the series is still my favorite but I do like how much development the characters have had over the course of the series. Great review!

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    1. Carole - I think the first is my favorite too, although I really liked the second one too. It is fun to see the characters evolve and their relationships develop. I can't wait for the next book.

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  9. I enjoyed the first two books and need to move this up my TBR pile. Thanks for your review. Sounds like it is a pretty good book though not as good as the others.

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    1. Christina - I hope you enjoy this one when you get to it. I did think it was good, but I suppose it's a given not every book in a series will be a favorite. :-)

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  10. I've just picked this one off the library shelves, though it wasn't my smartest move, because I haven't yet read the first 2! It is a series I've been promising myself to get into since I saw the reviews buzzing around about it. Thank you for your thoughts - I think this one clearly deserves to be read in the right order!

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    1. Sarah - I do recommend reading these books in order. They will make more sense that way, especially with the overreaching story line.

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