Reviews with content warning for Death - The Burning Page

Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman

9 reviews

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-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? No

4.0

4 ⭐ CW: Descriptions of large spiders, death, substance use

The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman is book three in The Invisible Library series. I just love how fun these books are with the over the top fantasy elements and wonderful characters, and an enigmatic villain. This series is great if you are reading to escape.

We pick up with Irene and Kai after the events of the last book. Someone is trying to kill Irene, and she ends up trusting a fae she probably shouldnt. Just like any good villain, Alberich doesn't stay dead, and he's back at it again and has it out for the Library. Unfortunately, Vale is suffering the consequences of going to a high chaos world, and has plunged into a depression and has gone back to using drugs.

Alberich has set his sights on destroying the Library, while trying to convince Irene to join him, saying that the Library shouldn't be a neutral force, but a uniting one. He's definitely got megalomaniac vibes. I really love all the characters we see more of in this book. The fae are so fascinating, mostly because they are archetypes, and as a reader we recognize that. We also learn that Kai's servant, Li Ming, is a trans man, and that dragons just believe people when they say what their gender is. I also love getting to travel to different alternate worlds to see how they are all different. We are starting to see more of a development of a love triangle between Irene, Kai, and Vale. Personally I'm rooting for polyamory there.

This is just a fun read with all the elements of fantasy we all love. We also get the start of themes around questioning authority and the status quo. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes over the next books.

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josisteacup's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

While this was a very entertaining and enjoyable read the plotline was definitely weaker compared to the first 2 books. The pacing was very fast and didn't allow us to stay in one place long enough to get to know new characters and worlds. I wish we would've seen more of the dragons or the elves. The 2nd book gave us the chance to explore so much of this world, but the 3rd feels a bit like a regress in this regard. It's still worth reading though. We get more information about the dangers that grew in the background and spend a lot of time with characters we know and love (and love to hate?). So if you already read and loved the first 2 books you should definitely pick up this one. You'll have a good time.

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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

2.0

Again, the plot starts off quite interesting but then it gets really convoluted, with terrible pacing. I wanna read this series but I also hate it

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leeang's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I liked the book, but didn’t love it. I’m annoyed at the Irene Vale plot line. I’m annoyed that Kai has the hots for Irene. I’m even more annoyed that

Kai and Vale yet again swooped in to save her at the end.

All of it felt a little lack luster.

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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The Burning Page was an interesting entry in the Invisible Library series. I can't help but wonder what the fallout from the burning page will be and what Alberich meant. As in previous books, Irene's journeys to alternate worlds is more fun than the basic plot line.

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stwriter92's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After reading the disaster that was A Discovery of Witches, I was overjoyed to be back in the world of the Invisible Library. It was a comfort to get back to characters I actually cared about!

This installment of the series brings Alberich back in all of his devious glory (I did miss him). This time, he is targeting the entirety of the Library, aiming to destroy it along with as many Librarians as he can (with a specific focus on destroying Irene). Irene must gather together all her resources and allies, but when push comes to shove, the question of who to trust drives her into a maze of half truths and deceptions.

I definitely enjoyed The Burning Page more than The Masked City. That is not to say I did not enjoy The Masked City. Rather, I felt that this one got back to the main plot. While I enjoy side-quests, I'd rather they not take up an entire book. I'm sure that the events of the second book will become relevant later on in the series. The question of Lady Guantes remains. Anyway, as to this particular installment, I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Irene, Kai, Vale, and Singh. I think that is part of what draws me to this series. The characters are fleshed out, their motivations are known and are at times at odds with one another, and the relationships between them are genuine. There were even times I wondered if Alberich was right in some ways. I am growing more suspicious of the Library as in institution (I would be a terrible Librarian), and I wonder if that's going to come to a head by the end of the series. I'm certain it will.

I am truly excited to get my hands on the fourth book (which will be ready for me in two days!!)

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jhbandcats's review against another edition

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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

Another fast-paced entry in the Invisible Library series, The Burning Page has the Library under an existential threat. Gates are being destroyed, Librarians are being murdered, and the enemy Alberich is getting close. His plan is to completely destroy the Library, and everything
within - people, books, the entire world of the Library - and there's no good plan to stop him.

Irene Winters, intrepid Librarian; Kai Strongrock, her dragon assistant; and Peregrine Vale, London detective; jump in to do their best to defeat Alberich once and for all. Alas, like the "dead" bodies in horror films, he refuses to stay down. Perhaps this time they'll be able to subdue him, perhaps eradicate him completely. In addition to the threat from Alberich, there are werewolves, flying sleighs, exploding briefcases, and even a power shortage with a brownout.

I really like this series a lot but I felt the last part, the exciting match of wits and powers, was both odd and cliché. Does Alberich have a body or not? Can he be killed or not? Can Irene access the Library if the door is in a fake library with fake books? The big to-do wasn't equal to what came before: the clever plot devolved into banal battle.

That said, I love the characters and I'm about to read the next in the series. I love the idea of valiant Librarians defeating evil and enjoy the plots and characters.

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katelindsay's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

We return to London in Genevieve Cogman’s third novel in the Invisible Library series. On probation from events in the previous book, Irene and her apprentice Kai are receiving less desirable assignments. Unfortunately, Irene and Kai have more dangerous concerns arising. Alberich, enemy of Irene and the library, attacks once again. This time he plans to destroy the library and anyone who opposes him.

Cogman created a rich and immersive world in this series. The library connects to hundreds of worlds, all variations on the one in which we live. Each world exists on a spectrum between order and chaos, with varying levels of magic and technology. We experience multiple fantastical worlds within this series. A perfect blend of Gaslamp fantasy, steampunk, and adventure, this series is right in my wheelhouse.

If you’re a fan of fantasy, steampunk, historical fiction, strong female protagonists, or books about libraries, then you will love this series. As of now, there are seven books in the series and I hope that’s not the end. I can’t wait to dive back into this series.

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mandkips's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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