nonsocialreader's review
5.0
This series is perfection! It's hard to put down and I'm in need of the next book and also afraid of what will come next. The cast of characters are some of my all time favourites.
jerihurd's review against another edition
4.0
You mean there's more books? Are you kidding me? AARGH!
dlberglund's review against another edition
3.0
There's something compelling about this series, about a corrupted all-powerful Library and a groups of scrappy people willing to sacrifice anything and everything to bring it back to what it could be.
But there's also a lot that's depressing about this book, with its layers of betrayal and the devastation of what they are willing to sacrifice. Death and destruction. Deadly games of chess. I want to know...but I'm not really having fun anymore, and I'm mostly sad and disgusted with the characters.
But there's also a lot that's depressing about this book, with its layers of betrayal and the devastation of what they are willing to sacrifice. Death and destruction. Deadly games of chess. I want to know...but I'm not really having fun anymore, and I'm mostly sad and disgusted with the characters.
rosiethespy's review against another edition
2.0
I really, really liked [b:Ink and Bone|20643052|Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1)|Rachel Caine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418350512s/20643052.jpg|39934787], and [b:Paper and Fire|25890355|Paper and Fire (The Great Library, #2)|Rachel Caine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443021846s/25890355.jpg|45771330] was ok, but after this I'm feeling pretty over this series. I'm ready for something of actual consequence to happen. I don't think this all needed to be dragged out across 5 books when they're never really doing anything to actually fight the library. The ending was super frustrating--I hate not having any idea what is going on, especially when the characters DO know. I might give this series one more opportunity to win me back, but if there are no satisfying answers in the next book I won't be back.
gemini110460's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mora55's review against another edition
5.0
--15 Aug 2022
this is a brightwell brothers appreciation zone only. i will not accept any brightwell brothers disrespect in this household.
yeah i basically have the same highlights as what i said down below from last year's read, what with the twisting of the plans and how it's kept from everyone else and has to go right and wrong at the same time. i did notice that
i'm also Thinking Hard about jess and wolfe parallels (and how wolfe is really the secondary protagonist) and will have to continue thinking very hard as i continue to reread this time. so far there's nothing i can articulate but i Know there's something there and there's a reason for jess being the main protagonist and wolfe being the secondary. really, there are parallels between both dads and all the kids, but there's got to be specific ones with wolfe and jess.
also Jess as Unreliable Narrator is actually a fascinating reading i'm enjoying employing by paying close attention to what might actually be going on and how jess's interpretations might be wrong. there's sooo much there and someday i'm going to actually have to read the physical copies again so i can slow down and flip back and forth to analyze more deeply all these little parallels and thematic things and unreliable jess moments all over the place.
--22 Aug 2021
so i have already screamed about the found family and will definitely do it again but now it is time to appreciate the plot! these books aren't even LONG fantasy books but SO much happens? but the tension is incredible and the plot - especially in this book more than the prior two, with i knew what was coming because i've read this book twice before but i still had to get up and pace around and kept pausing the audio because the tension was too much! and it's so SMART?? and the writing style and the way action and descriptions are so clearly written really contribute to this. rachel caine is perhaps a genius!
it's like things are bad and instead of the problems getting solved they simply get worse and the TENSION.
also i love brendan and jess's relationship so much
this is a brightwell brothers appreciation zone only. i will not accept any brightwell brothers disrespect in this household.
yeah i basically have the same highlights as what i said down below from last year's read, what with the twisting of the plans and how it's kept from everyone else and has to go right and wrong at the same time. i did notice that
Spoiler
what jess, brendan, and dario do at the end with their plan where everyone has a different role but only some people know their roles is more or less what wolfe was doing with the others when they were in philadelphia (though with wolfe he told everyone their roles but not other people each other's roles).i'm also Thinking Hard about jess and wolfe parallels (and how wolfe is really the secondary protagonist) and will have to continue thinking very hard as i continue to reread this time. so far there's nothing i can articulate but i Know there's something there and there's a reason for jess being the main protagonist and wolfe being the secondary. really, there are parallels between both dads and all the kids, but there's got to be specific ones with wolfe and jess.
also Jess as Unreliable Narrator is actually a fascinating reading i'm enjoying employing by paying close attention to what might actually be going on and how jess's interpretations might be wrong. there's sooo much there and someday i'm going to actually have to read the physical copies again so i can slow down and flip back and forth to analyze more deeply all these little parallels and thematic things and unreliable jess moments all over the place.
--22 Aug 2021
so i have already screamed about the found family and will definitely do it again but now it is time to appreciate the plot! these books aren't even LONG fantasy books but SO much happens? but the tension is incredible and the plot - especially in this book more than the prior two, with
Spoiler
jess, dario, and brendan plotting without cluing in even the others in the group.it's like things are bad and instead of the problems getting solved they simply get worse
Spoiler
and they just have to turn this to their advantage in what little ways they can. they MAKE things get worse in order to make them better. their playing the long game is so impressive to me and the way the author has to make both their twisty plans AND the way those plans go wrong AND connect to and butt up against other characters' plans?? so impressive!also i love brendan and jess's relationship so much
bethdillman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lestaslettering's review against another edition
3.0
Wait, what? This isn't the finale? I have to wait god knows how many years for the finale..? If this continues at this rate, I'dve long since forgotten the original plot by the time the final book comes up. Not cool, Rach. You could've ended it right now. Lost the motivation to wait for another. :(
zoemaja's review against another edition
5.0
Very exciting, although I hate when books end this way with everything in chaos, I'm just a fan of cliffhangers.