Author: Scott Hawkins

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Broadway Books

Pages: 388

Carolyn and her adopted siblings have been raised in the Library, by Father, since their parents were all killed in an incident many years before. They are all Librarians, in the broadest sense. They are tasked with, collectively, learning literally everything- each about their own catalog. Father, however, wrote the Library. He is what one would consider a god of the age. The problem: Father is missing, and possibly dead. The Librarians know that there will be a battle brewing to take his place, and Carolyn has been preparing for that. She has a plan…

This was one of the strangest, and most odd, novels that I have read in a very long time possibly ever- and I loved every second of it! This dark fantasy gripped me from the beginning, because I just needed to figure out what was going on. Honestly, I’m not sure that I really did until close to the end. The structure was laid out in a very different way, but it really worked for this novel. The characters were all very well developed, and fully fleshed out, especially the MCs. I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about Carolyn, the protagonist, throughout most of the book. I liked her, I disliked her, then I rooted for her again. The world building was spectacular. While it is technically set in “our world”, it’s a different world altogether. (Sorry, it’s a bit difficult to explain without spoilers!) I will reveal to you that there were some scenes that may be a bit difficult for some readers. They are not gratuitously placed, in my opinion, they fit in to the plot of the novel. If you want a story that will keep you wondering what is going to happen next, scratching your head, and that is wholly original (not something I can say very often!)- this book may just be for you!