Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

Sword and Pen (Great Library, #5)

by Rachel Caine

Jess Brightwell and his friends have achieved the impossible: masterminded an uprising against the Great Library, and toppled its corrupt regime. But while the battle is won, the war is far from over.
A new Archivist must be crowned, one capable of weathering the political storm. With the Library reeling from the coup, foreign nations are circling, eager to plunder the world's knowledge. And the old Archivist, their despotic enemy, has fled into hiding and plots from the shadows. Threats could come from anywhere, at any time. Any of Jess's friends could be wounded or killed in an instant, and the future of the Library itself hangs in the balance.

Reviewed by HekArtemis on

4 of 5 stars

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A good conclusion to the series. It followed a fairly predictable line to the end though, with fairly predictable outcomes all around - including the easily guessed deus ex machina regarding a certain character.

I wasn't particularly impressed with that deus ex machina - in case you're wondering I am referring to Thomas coincidentally finding the cure to the poison for Jess. I saw it coming a mile away and was disappointed as I had hoped that this book might do the unthinkable and just let the MC die in the end. Would have been pretty shocking. But no, she went the easy route instead.

When we got to part where Wolfe is summoned by his father though I suddenly no longer minded that deus ex machina because here was something even more ridiculous and annoying. Morgan is inside of her magic ring and still alive but forever now, and she is super powerful inside the ring and... what. the. hell. No really, what the hell? How stupid! That whole scene almost turned me off the whole book, it was just that stupid. I am just going to pretend it didn't happen.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 11 May, 2020: Reviewed