The Masked City (The Invisible Library, #2)

by Genevieve Cogman

Librarian-spy Irene and her apprentice Kai are back in the second in this “dazzling”* book-filled fantasy series from the author of The Invisible Library.
 
The written word is mightier than the sword—most of the time...
 
Working in an alternate version of Victorian London, Librarian-spy Irene has settled into a routine, collecting important fiction for the mysterious Library and blending in nicely with the local culture. But when her apprentice, Kai—a dragon of royal descent—is kidnapped by the Fae, her carefully crafted undercover operation begins to crumble.
 
Kai’s abduction could incite a conflict between the forces of chaos and order that would devastate all worlds and all dimensions. To keep humanity from getting caught in the crossfire, Irene will have to team up with a local Fae leader to travel deep into a version of Venice filled with dark magic, strange coincidences, and a perpetual celebration of Carnival—and save her friend before he becomes the first casualty of a catastrophic war.
 
But navigating the tumultuous landscape of Fae politics will take more than Irene’s book-smarts and fast-talking—to ward off Armageddon, she might have to sacrifice everything she holds dear....

INCLUDES AUTHOR INTERVIEW

• ISBN10: 1101988665
• ISBN13: 9781101988664
• Publish Date: 6 September 2016 (first published 3 December 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Ace Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781101988664

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

How lucky could a blogger get? I was happily approved for The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman which I enjoy quite a bit and then the publisher surprisingly approved me for book two, The Masked City, which I delayed reading for no good reason.

Where The Invisible Library fell short—lots of world building explanations that drug down the action bits—The Masked City soared. The Masked City doesn’t waste anytime jumping right into the action with Kai and Irene who are immediately swept up in dastardly Fae plot to start a war. Kai, Irene’s apprentice, is missing for most of the book and this allows Cogman to explore Irene’s character and motivations in a deeper fashion. Throughout the story, Irene is challenged and becomes quite resourceful in this latest installment in The Invisible Library series.

There are just two bits about this latest installment still niggling in the back of my head.

1. In book one, I caught hints that the Library’s power was perhaps too powerful—that there was a bigger story behind the story. I was hoping Cogman would explore that a bit more in book two, but it was missing.

2. Sometimes Cogman uses big words that are archaic. It is almost as if she is showing off her knowledge of the English language. I wouldn’t mind this so much if one of the Library characters, such as Irene, was using these words, but since it happens in the general text and not character dialogue or thoughts, it feels snooty.

Despite these two points, I did thoroughly enjoy Cogman’s romp through a magic-infused Venice with its gondolas, masks and conniving Fae. Irene is becoming a fleshed out strong female character who is starting understand her power and place in the world. And with the world building out of the way, The Masked City flies with action and adventure.

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Five Caffeinated reasons to read Masked City today:

• Irene and Kai are warned by Silver that danger is afoot. While returning her latest retrieved book to the Library, Kai goes missing and Irene must begin her most dangerous assignment ever. Save Kai, save whole worlds and avoid war. She must do this all while obeying the rules of the Library. Easy peasy right?


• Before traveling to an alternate Venice where every day is Carnival Irene visits the world Kai is from. Her she meets his Dragon Uncle. Or is it his Aunt?  Much of the book is spent with Irene as she tries to navigate a chaos-filled world. I welcomed time spent with Irene as Cogman shared the inner workings of her mind. We witnessed her invoke the language of the library and saw for ourselves its power.


• Cogman writes vividly descriptive worlds and alternate Venice was AMAZING. From the opera house to the unique prison and waterways, it was both eerie and enchanting. She also gave us a solid understanding of the FAE and their chaos-filled worlds. It was interesting to see the political maneuvering, hierarchy, and interactions of the FAE and humans in this Venice. Wait until you see the train…and learn its story. (Squee)


• While some complained about the pacing of the Invisible Library, such is not the case with the Masked City. The tale is action packed from the first page and at times, I was so caught up in the conflict I forgot to breath. Irene’s mission is completed so we are rewarded with a solid ending, but are left to wonder Irene and Kai’s fate.


• The Masked City surpassed the Invisible Library from the world building to the non-stop adventure. Fans of Harry Potter will love Cogman’s imagination as we solve cases, and visit new worlds. For those who love to feed their inner geek, but are not interested in learning quantum physics, you will love the gadgets, rules, and discoveries this world has to offer.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Kai had a smaller part in this book due to his kidnapping. However once he appeared again, his use of draconic powers was pretty cool! We also get to meet a few more dragons, and lots more Fae.

There is lots of cloak and dagger, Irene has to pretend to be a Fae for part of the book. She also has to outwit a great many people, and manages to make at least one new friend. I loved the Fae Train, and how Irene has to use the Language to tell a Story in order to make a few small changes to the world.

The Fae prison was also a pretty neat setting. I liked how it was bigger on the inside than the outside (by a huge amount!), and the way the magic worked both inside the prison and outside in the world. I liked that there was both a new Fae enemy, as well as that Lord Silver was still around. He was even slightly helpful to Irene, when it was in his best interests to be. Or when he could twist his helpfulness into something positive for himself.

Vale was around for the beginning, and a bit of the end of the book. He wasn't as major a character as he was in the first book, but he was still useful. There was a bit of extra material in the back of the book, a list of Irene's best heists. I read the first one but not the rest as they didn't really catch my attention. They ranged from a few paragraphs long, to 2-3 Kindle pages/screens. And the ending of the book itself was a cliffhanger! I wanted to know what would happen to Irene. But it ends with her needing to face an inquisition, but not actually doing so.

This book was as fast-paced as the first one, I didn't want to put it down until I had finished it. If you haven't started this series yet, you need to do so! I can hardly wait until book 3 is out!

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon

[wyvernfriend]

Irene has to rescue Kai, he's been abducted by the Fae in an apparent plot to start war, it's not a totally sanctioned action but her loyalty to Kai and her understanding of the far-reaching implications of a fae/dragon war on humanity override her caution. She has allies but also has enemies and it won't lack consequences for her into the next book.

I like this series, Irene has to work hard at getting her goals and be aware of the politics and implications and occasionally has to make some hard decisions, and she knows it. I'm looking forward to more.