The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

The Masked City (The Invisible Library, #2)

by Genevieve Cogman

Librarian-spy Irene's assistant has been kidnapped by the Fae – a fairy faction who will stop at nothing to cause utter chaos. The Masked City is the second entry in the Invisible Library series from Genevieve Cogman.

Irene is working undercover when disaster strikes. Her assistant, Kai, is snatched away by the dangerous Fae faction, unveiling his secret identity. Kai is a dragon prince – with this act of aggression, the Fae are determined to trigger a war that will hurl all dimensions into havoc.

With the stakes higher than ever before, Irene must navigate a treacherous path into the heart of enemy territory – a dark, alternate Venice under the grim control of the Fae. To prevent the Fae from triggering armageddon, she must find and rescue Kai. She will be forced to blackmail, fight and make an unlikely alliance – or face death . . .

This book also includes a extra, bonus section – with fascinating insights into the library's intricate spy network.

Continue this enthralling journey with The Burning Page, the third book in the series that takes the adventure to new, fiery heights.

Praise for the series:


'I absolutely loved this' – N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season

'Irene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one's fool' – The Guardian

'Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series!' – Charles Stross, author of the Merchant Princes series

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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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

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