Angie
Written on Sep 29, 2019
In this exhilarating series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…
Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.
When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn....
- ISBN10 0451473132
- ISBN13 9780451473134
- Publish Date 5 April 2016 (first published 7 July 2015)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
- Imprint Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 384
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451473134
Reviews
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Jan 21, 2019
The idea behind this series is that not only did the Great Library of Alexandria survive, but it's now the force that governs the world. This is a world where information and the distribution of knowledge is highly policed and the written word is all but illegal, unless it is the words that the Library gives you. When we meet Jess Brightwell, he's a runner for his family's illegal book selling business. His father recognizes that Jess loves books more than he loves family and money, and so he gets his son a spot to serve the Library - if he can get in. Of course, from the inside, he can slid his father a few rare volumes to sell. Right?
It's so much more complicated than that. The treachery of the Library runs deep, and there is war. There's a lot that Jess doesn't know about the Library, but he's about to learn it. And what better place to learn than Alexandria?
I thought some characters were better developed than others. I agree with other reviewers who said that character development seemed to stagnate midway through the novel - I really would have liked to see more of an emotional tie between the characters at the very least, but any changes felt uneven and superficial. They were at best unbelievable, and altogether unimpressive. Also it should be noted that this is a very shabby book, so don't get too attached to anyone? They may well die.
I also felt that the plot was a bit scattered. There were some scenes that were so strong and really pulled me into the world, but the pacing jumped all around the story switched directions quickly. The changes upped the tension and adventure, but I found it a bit frustrating because just as I was beginning to settle in, we'd be off to something new and I missed what had been left behind. This is a personal preference, I think.
What I LOVED was the world building. I was so intrigued by the dystopian world that it was easy for me to put aside the shallow nature of some of the characters and the zigzagging of the plot. I wanted to drink in every small detail offered. At the end of the day, it was the world itself that drew me in, and because of it, I forgive the other nitpicks.
Overall - definitely needs more overall love in the community. I loved it, I'd recommend it, and I will probably read it again someday.
ammaarah
Written on Nov 21, 2018
"You have ink in your blood boy, and no help for it. Books will never be just a business to you." (Callum Brightwell)
Ink and Bone is set in an alternate future where the Great Library of Alexandria still exists and the world, its technology and its politics, are different. Books are freely available, but the Library controls what people are allowed to read and what knowledge they should have. Owning original and private book are a crime.
The main character, Jess Brightwell, comes from a family of book smugglers and is sent to the Library to compete for a position as a Scholar so that he can ultimately aid the family business. Jess is intelligent, practical, bold and streetsmart.
The secondary characters could be more developed, but I grew to care for them. The characters are also diverse. Thomas is friendly, naive and optimistic. Glain is blunt and loyal. Dario's unexplained hatred towards Jess and the situations that result from it are humourous. Morgan is an enigma and I couldn't really get a grip on her personality. The stand-out character is definitely Khalila, a hijabi and a practicing Muslim, who is smart and independent. My favourite character is Wolfe, the most complex character in Ink and Bone. He's a brutal and mean teacher with a no-nonsense attitude, but he genuinely cares for his students.
The world in Ink and Bone sets it apart from other books. There are interesting themes related to books and knowledge and the pros and cons that come with guarding knowledge and having power over it are explored. The magic system is also quite interesting and is rooted in science, alchemy and technology.
I also enjoyed the plot progression. The characters and their views towards the the Library and each other changes with the events that occur. The Library starts off as this amazing, larger-than-life institution, but slowly it's dark secrets come to light. I'm extremely excited to see where things go in Paper and Fire.
I'm not a fan of the main romance in Ink and Bone between Jess and Morgan. Their relationship is unnecessary and feels forced. There is, however, a relationship in Ink and Bone that I ship with my heart and soul. Santi and Wolfe.
I didn't really expect much when I started reading Ink and Bone, but somewhere along the line, it became extremely interesting and I got swept up in the world, the characters, the secrets, the mysteries, and the plot twists.
"All it will take is a spark, and everything's on fire." (Jess Brightwell)
ladygrey
Written on Jun 23, 2018
In the end, the secondary characters still weren’t that well developed. But there was a certain comfort in them because everyone else died!
They idea of the great library, though was interesting and the world well formed. Not enough to keep me reading but enough for me to appreciate.
In the end, I think it was the plot that kept me reading because it so smoothly rolled from one thing to the next. It was unexpected. It was interesting. And then around page 200 and something some of the characters caught up and were more interesting.
I had no intention of continuing in the series, but in the end, even though I don’t LOVE it, and I don’t really want to get drawn into five books, it was all well constructed and satisfying enough that I’d like to read the next one.
Remember, losing one pint of blood’s an accident. Losing two is careless.”
***
It was a nice dream, and he let himself have it for the length of the kiss that followed, fierce and sweet and promising things that he knew would never be.
Kisses could lie as well as words.
Annie Jackson
Written on Jun 23, 2018
"Remember, losing one pint of blood’s an accident. Losing two is careless.”
It was a nice dream, and he let himself have it for the length of the kiss that followed, fierce and sweet and promising things that he knew would never be.
Kisses could lie as well as words.
inlibrisveritas
Written on Jun 2, 2018
Jess Brightwell has spent his early life running books for the illegal book smuggling ring and avoiding the official libraries at all cost despite loving books in a way that is a detriment to his current life. So when he is set to go to Alexandria to try and become a librarian, he thinks he may have finally escaped the harsh reality of smuggling, burners, and ink lickers but things are far from what they seem in Alexandria. This book has such ominous tones to it! The first chapter shows right away the terrifying power of the Library and how that power can be indifferent to those around them. Knowledge comes first, and those that disrupt that knowledge or seek to spread it out of the Library’s control are enemy number one. It’s odd to think of the library as a place that can have negative impacts on the world, or as a place only interested in preserving & squirreling away knowledge, but that’s exactly how the Great Library is. It’s ruthless in its quest for all the knowledge the world has to offer, making book ownership illegal and knowledge highly controlled. Despite all of this I have to admit the Library has some incredibly cool aspects to it. I love that it has automatons and that they have their own alchemy based magic, bringing a bit more spice to an already rich world. The plot is one of a deliberate and slow-burn pace, which works in the story’s favor as it gives Caine plenty of time to develop the world around Jess.
Jess is such a great main character as well. He is a book lover at heart and a bit of jack of all trades, master of none type of character, but he’s incredibly clever. I do think that the side characters shine a little brighter than Jess though. Thomas is probably my favorite though, with his gentle giant kind of personality. I loved the odd way the Library chooses its librarians, and how it gives each character time to shine in an unexpected way. From being able to recite events of the past, to finding hidden caches of books and avoiding extremely dangerous traps.
I’m so happy I finally got around to checking this one out! I can’t wait to see how things develop after the ending of this one with Jess and the others, especially since things really ramped up towards the end in a few unexpected ways.
wyvernfriend
Written on Nov 15, 2017
I enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to the sequels and to see where Rachel Caine goes with this.
bestmessever
Written on Jul 27, 2017
Cocktails and Books
Written on Jul 15, 2017
Story building is amazing, but it did make for a slow start. However towards the 50% mark things pick up and it was hard to put this down.
Sam@WLABB
Written on Jan 6, 2017
Tota est scientia. Knowledge is all.
We all know ....
The world of Ink and Bone was ruled by the Great Library. They controlled what knowledge one could or could not acquire, and the book was more important than a life.
The Library was never wrong.
I can say, I throughly enjoyed the trip into this alternate future. I found Cain's world quite interesting, as it was a mix of elements from the past, as well as, magical elements. She filled this world with fascinating characters and a social structure, which piqued my interest.
There is no place in the world for librarians who lack the will to defend books against wars, rebels, and Burners. Books cannot fight for themselves
There are several characters who are central to the story: Jess, Wolff, Morgan, Kalila, Galin, Thomas, Dario, and Santi, but my favorites were Jess, Wolff, and Thomas.
* Jess - The MC came from a long line of English book smugglers, however, he never really bought into that life. He bided his time by following family orders, while he acquired huge stores of knowledge by means of illegal books. I really liked Jess. He was clever and caring, whip-smart with a keen survival instinct, but he was not wholly controlled this instinct. There were many times in the story, where he was conflicted between doing what was right and doing what would preserve his life. I like that Caine wrote those struggles into his character, as it made me care for him more. But, Jess really wormed his way into my heart with his need to be needed just for who he was. Throughout his life, he was a pawn, always being used by someone for some purpose. The fact that he felt more like property or an object, rather than a person, really broke my heart.
* Wolff - I can totally see why he was a fan favorite. This mentor did not pull any punches, but he had quite a backstory (which I cannot reveal, as I think it is important to learn on your own as the story unfolds.). He appeared to be callous and uncaring, but he was anything but that. The love for Wolff was slow to grow, but once it did, it bloomed to be the biggest and brightest love I had.
*Thomas - I loved him immediately. He was a nerdy engineer! I loved his affable nature, his amazing gadgets, and his big, beautiful heart.
And it will satisfy the Burners - what do they want? Books they can own. The Library not watching what they read. Freedom. This is freedom, in this ink. This page.
Back to the world, I thought it was quite interesting the way Caine mixed in so many elements of the past. In the book, there is talk about how the Library had not evolved in any way for over 200 years, thus, the Library and the people it governs are stuck. One reviewer also asserted that by controlling the flow of information, the Library limits innovation and advancement. I wholly agree with this assessment, and greatly appreciate the thoughtful way Caine conveyed this idea in the book.
I thought this story was well paced, as it was quite action packed. It started out with bang, and maintained that energy though most of the story. The ending was an ending, with some closure, but also many openings to continue the story (FYI: these are my favorite kind of endings in book series).
Overall: A fantastic adventure in an alternate future starring books! which was entertaining and thought provoking.
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