Smoke and Iron (Great Library, #4)

by Rachel Caine

Jess Brightwell and his friends are the rebels trying to free humanity's knowledge from the grasps of the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. Engaged in this deadly game, Jess finds himself in an Alexandrian cell with nothing but his wits and skill to aid him. With every word, written or spoken, meticulously monitored by the Obscurists, Jess has no way to contact his friends and family.


When Jess's girlfriend, Morgan, figures out how to hack the Codex, the system by which all language and knowledge is recorded, it takes just one word to spark the fire of rebellion. When the library, thousands of years in the making, is set to smoke and burn, will a group of smugglers, thieves and scholars be enough to save it?

• ISBN10: 0749022361
• ISBN13: 9780749022365
• Publish Date: 3 July 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Allison & Busby
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Language: English

Reviews

"Dying in the sun was always better than dying in the dark, wasn't it." (Jess Brightwell)

Smoke and Iron continues after the events of that dreadful cliffhanger in Ash and Quill and the stakes are extremely high. I was on the edge of my seat worrying about the characters and hoping that their daring and risky plans would succeed.

Unlike the previous books in The Great Library series, Smoke and Iron is told mainly from Jess's, Khalila's, Wolfe's and Morgan's PoV and I expected this outcome after the characters were separated in Ash and Quill. It's a rare thing for me to say, but I enjoyed all the PoV's equally because they each brought something different to the table and aided in the overall story progression.

Jess is a likable character, but he's a little bland in Smoke and Iron. This is mainly because his brother, Brendan, and the indirect effect of him pretending to be Brendan, steals his thunder. For me to get so upset after Neska's murder and feel Brendan's grief, anger and recklessness after only knowing his character for a short period of time, is a great feat.

I also enjoyed Khalila's character arc and her realisation that she's a leader and a diplomat. She's kind and sweet, but she wouldn't hesitate to fight for her beliefs. She's also a practising Muslim and a hijabi and I'm so glad that she isn't mocked because of her religion, nor does she mock her own religion. I wish I could have read about characters like Khalila when I was younger. Khalila has my full approval if she chooses to become the next Archivist.

Dario, Glain and Thomas are lovable characters for different reasons and have important roles to play, but they feel like side characters in Smoke and Iron. On the other hand, Morgan becomes a little more fleshed out in Smoke and Iron, but I'm tired of her I'm-better-than-everyone attitude.

In Smoke and Iron, I fell even more in love with the ship that is Wolfe and Santi. The love and devotion that they have for each other is unmatched. I also love that Khalila gives Dario such a hard time and knocks him down a couple pegs, whenever she gets a chance, just to keep him humble. Jess and Morgan are separated for the most part of Smoke and Iron and it's such a blessing because I didn't have to deal with their bland, cardboard romance. When it comes to those two, pining from a distance is the most I can handle.

Smoke and Iron has everything a book should have. A unique world, complex plots and schemes, characters that you can't help but root for and friendships that will stand the test of time.

I have no idea how Sword and Pen is going to top Smoke and Iron.

"The Great Library had survived the march of time. It gave him some hope that he might survive his day inside it." (Jess Brightwell)

[ladygrey]

As always, entertaining. In some ways it felt like not much happened and yet everything changed. I liked the various povs. And I really did like what so many of the characters were forced to confront and reckon with. I feel like the plot moved so quickly those revelations didn’t get a chance to sink in or perhaps didn’t change the characters quite as much as they might have. But there’s room to see how they might still play out as it comes to a close in the next book.

[sa090]

Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine

It’s always awesome when an author is consistent with the enjoyment delivered from their books despite obviously not being perfect.

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Finished this several days ago, but it seems that July will be just as annoying of a month as June was motivation wise. Anyways, this series is one of my absolute favourites for sure from my reads of 2017, and it’s so easy for me to remember that feeling after the first few chapters. Because of how long ago I actually read it, alongside the fact that I read quite a bit of books afterwards, it took a bit to remember where we’re starting here but once we did start, it was just one build up after another to lead to the grand finale. Personally, I didn’t think that Rachel Caine would end it the way she did in this book because it’s not the end, there is a fifth on the way in 2019 if I’m not mistaken but with the way she took it here, our protagonists are going to be in very deep trouble next time and I honestly have no idea how long of a book she plans to write to include everything.

Because the group is functioning from different starting points and working towards different objectives for the plot, this book was the first one where we actually see different perspectives and not just Jess’s. This to me was a blast of fun because one of my favourite characters got her own more than well deserved POV in it as well. Of course, not every single chapter allocated to certain characters felt that needed given my very selfish desire to see other aspects too, but overall it was a very nice approach and better yet, it didn’t actually feel like there is any disjointed feel to the storytelling, everything felt like it was flowing in the same direction. Now these few POVs also managed to add extra sides to some of the characters in them, saying extra sides is a bit off here since it sort of implies that they didn’t have much to begin with, but in a way, it reaffirmed the sides we’ve seen from these characters in different lights and expanded on them which was pretty cool imo.

Still wished Glain got a bigger role though, this girl is a monster and I’d like to see it in details please, moreover, her friendship with Khalila was great to see. Although I’m not one to care all that much about diversity, AS LONG as I have a compelling and engaging story, this book (and by extension series) has a cast full of it. Different nationalities, sexual orientations and religions without one of them being there to display it in full. Meaning, you know how in some books, the diversity aspect takes priority and some authors sacrifice the plot and everything with it to display said diversity? None of that here, it’s just a natural collection of people from different parts of the world and whatever that brings with it, which to me was really refreshing.

Usually her pace is one of the greatest things about her writing for me, because it makes everything make sense in the end based on the handles events, but in this book in particular I think it kind of made it feel like some events could’ve been handled a little bit better to make them count. There are deaths in this book like all the ones before it, but because of the mess of a situation she put our protagonists in, most of the deaths meant nothing to me. Sometimes I didn’t even know a death has happened until I reread the passage because of how fast it happened in the middle of everything. Realistically, it works, but emotional value wise, it didn’t.

One of the things I’m most grateful about in this book though, is the world building of parts I’ve never seen like this before. Thanks to the split up, the characters get the chance to visit some places we’ve never seen before and/or visit some places in greater details which was fun to read for me. Also, we got to see more automaton ingenuity and a bigger look into the abilities that are in this world which is just fantastic. There were a couple of situations where I thought the issue was resolved a little too easily tbh, but overall minor details compared to how fun of a read this was for me.

I honestly wonder why books like these don’t get picked up for adaptations when way lesser books are all over the place, meh.

Final rating: 4/5

[inlibrisveritas]

4.5 Stars

I received this in exchange for an honest review.

Spoiler Warning for all previous books! This review may have spoilers for the first three books in the The Great Library series, if you are interested in starting the series I recommend checking out my review of that book instead.

Guys!! GUYS…*exhales* A little bit of a warning before I move forward with the review, words will not be able to describe how much I enjoyed reading this book. I’m going to attempt to keep the rambling to a minimum, but just know my mind is racing with all the things I want to say. I will attempt to keep spoilers to a minimum.

Smoke and Iron picks up right where Ash and Quill so cruelly left us, and it hits the ground running. In the previous books, we were treated to a story that moved at a nice pace with some very intense moments mixed in with a deliberate carefulness not to move too fast. Smoke and Iron throws that caution to the wind and we are treated to a mad dash as Caine builds us up to conflict. You only get a few breaks to catch your breath before you’re swept off again. I wish I could tell you everything that had me glued to the page, but you need to experience yourself…and believe me, this is an experience.

Our little group has gone through a lot and we’ve seen them grow stronger and smarter with each passing page…and it’s so satisfying to see just how much they have come into their own. Each character still shines right in their own ways: Jess with his cunning and drive, Khalila with her wit and politico charm, Dario and his roguish intellect, Glain her stalwart determination, Thomas and his eerie brilliance, and Morgan with her unbelievable power. The friendships and love we experience make it all the better, especially Wolfe and Santi who have a love that goes above and beyond words.

The world Caine has created is phenomenal. I have mentioned before my love for anything related to the Great Library of Alexandria, so part of this is like the historical rewrite I’ve always needed and more. A world where the Library not only survived but thrived and created, a world where the Library has become corrupt and dangerous. I will never get over how utterly amazingly terrifying the automation are. I adore a good villain, and I have to say the Library makes for one hell of a bad guy. There is so much at stake in this world and there are no easy answers, no black and white options to choose from. This is a world where morals can be skewed without a person ever knowing it, and that is such a refreshing change to the YA genre. I don’t want easy answers. I want answers that cause nightmares AND saves others, and Caine delivers that.

If you have enjoyed this series so far then Smoke and Iron is a must. It is without a doubt the best book in the series so far. If you are new to the series then I urge to pick up a copy of the first book, Ink and Bone!

[kimbacaffeinate]

Spoiler Free and Vague Thoughts

Smoke and Iron was suspenseful with nail-biting developments, new automations and great loss. We've got Jess, posing as Brendon, his twin, Morgan is back in the Dark Tower a place she swore she'd never return to and Wolfe being held prisoner in the dungeon. The rest of our crew is aboard a ship manned by Ani. All have a part to play in the game to undermine and remove the archivist from power. Ahhhh.... it was all so stressful!

The story moved from POV to POV, some Jess, some from Wolfe and others from Khalia. The ebb and flow keep me engaged. I tried to savior the story by setting it down and just digesting things for a day, but the last sixty percent I devoured in a single sitting.

Things I loved:

• Wolfe and Santi's relationship. (swoon)


• Dario who completely won me over.


• Thomas the brave.


• Khalia who continues to impress me. I see great things in her future.


• Jess who is clever, foolish, and inspires his friends to greatness even as they want to kill him. LOL


• When I close my eyes, these characters are the actors and actresses from the Harry Potter movies. Wolfe is Snape, Thomas is Neville, Dario is Malfoy, Jess is Harry, Morgan is Luna, and Khalia is Hermione.  All have traits that from the beginning reminded me of Rowling's characters and while there are vast differences, I think readers will agree they come to care for these characters in much the same way.

Caine must have poured her soul into this installment. It had everything an epic fantasy needs. We saw fantastic battles, plot twists, and death. Now I've heard readers say this ended in a cliffhanger and while things are not completely resolved I felt differently. After a good cry, the ending left me satisfied and for once I didn't close the book while screaming.

If friendship, strong characters and epic world-building tickle your fancy I recommend you devour the Great Library series. The next and final book is yet to come. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

After being disappointed with book 3, Smoke and Iron comes roaring back with more twists and turns as Jess and his crew of rebels continue their mission to expose the Library. Can't wait for book 5!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Beth C.]

We're back with the crew as they take on the Archivist - much more directly this time. War is on the horizon, and the Archivist is pulling out all the stops to crush any and all rebellion.

It took a little bit longer than I would have liked to get back into the world, but once I did, the story moved along at a nice clip. Lots of action, a smidge of romance, and some terrible betrayal keep the reader on their toes. After reading this one, it will be interesting to see how things wrap up in book 5. Overall, I really enjoyed revisiting this world, and look forward to doing so again!