AUTHOR: Rachel Caine
RELEASE DATE: July 2015
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press
PAGES: 355 pages
SERIES: The Great Library
GENRE: Fantasy
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 6-12
SUMMARY: In an alternate history, the library of Alexandria controls all the knowledge of the world. People are not allowed to own actual paper copies of books, but only blanks, devices that allow temporary access to approved books available to the public. Due to this, the world is a dangerous place, with Scholars controlling the access to the knowledge, Burners who believe no one should have complete control, and smugglers who will get you any book for the right price. Jess falls into the last category, his family has a network of smugglers all across the country, and Jess is a runner, one of the best runners. That is until his father thinks he will be more valuable working for the source, and buys him an opportunity to win a place among the Library Scholars.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "Librarians instruct, assist, research, develop, create... and protect, do they not?" (Caine, 69)
WHAT I LIKED: I absolutely loved the world building in this story. A lot of the story takes place in England and Egypt and other places in that area. But the history behind these places are completely different from what we know now. The author, Rachel Caine, explained in a Tweet to me, "It's modern, but because of the changes in history, it's a kind of flawed utopia where scientific advancements been slowed... It's not dystopian because there is law and order, society, all the things we think of as normal. But it's deeply flawed."
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I felt this book needed a glossary in the end. Maybe a short description of the Library specialities: Medica, Artifex, Historia, and Lingua. I felt like I needed a course in Latin to understand all of the job titles: Obscurist Magnus, Artifex Magister, etc.
READALIKES: The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra ClareWHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I felt this book needed a glossary in the end. Maybe a short description of the Library specialities: Medica, Artifex, Historia, and Lingua. I felt like I needed a course in Latin to understand all of the job titles: Obscurist Magnus, Artifex Magister, etc.
SERIES UPDATE: Book Two: Paper and Fire due out July 5, 2016
BOOK TRAILER:
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