Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Ink and Bone (Great Library, #1)

by Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.
In 48 AD, a fire set by the troops of Julius Caesar destroyed much of the Great Library of Alexandria. It was the first of several disasters that resulted in the destruction of the accumulated knowledge of the ancient world. But what if the fire had been stopped? What would the Library have become?
Fast forward: the Great Library is now a separate country, protected by its own standing army. It has grown into a vast power, with unquestioned and unrivalled supremacy. Jess Brightwell, seventeen and very smart, with a gift for mechanical engineering, has been sent into the Great Library as a spy for his criminal family. Magical spells and riots abound in this epic new YA series.
#InkandBone

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on

4 of 5 stars

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Every time I see this series pop up in the blogosphere, the word "underrated" is attached, and I couldn't agree more. Ink and Bone is a dystopian world based on books, with a smidge of science and alchemy, a lot of war, and lots of adventure. It's definitely a series more YA bloggers need to read, because it deserves a lot of love for the idea and execution alone. I had problems with the book as a whole, but I STILL want to step into this world. However ill-advised that may be.

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.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 January, 2019: Finished reading
  • 21 January, 2019: Reviewed