BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Bea Reviews The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman

Bea's Book Nook, Review, The Lost Plot, Genevieve Cogman
Series: The Invisible Library #4
Publisher: Ace Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 9th, 2018 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iBooks* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

After being commissioned to find a rare book, Librarian Irene and her assistant, Kai, head to Prohibition-era New York and are thrust into the middle of a political fight with dragons, mobsters, and Fae.

In a 1920s-esque New York, Prohibition is in force; fedoras, flapper dresses, and tommy guns are in fashion: and intrigue is afoot. Intrepid Librarians Irene and Kai find themselves caught in the middle of a dragon political contest. It seems a young Librarian has become tangled in this conflict, and if they can't extricate him, there could be serious repercussions for the mysterious Library. And, as the balance of power across mighty factions hangs in the balance, this could even trigger war.

Irene and Kai are locked in a race against time (and dragons) to procure a rare book. They'll face gangsters, blackmail, and the Library's own Internal Affairs department. And if it doesn't end well, it could have dire consequences on Irene's job. And, incidentally, on her life.

My Thoughts:
 
This series is a fun mix of action, intrigue, history, fantasy, and a hint of romance. It is best read in order. Not only will  you be less confused but you can better appreciate certain developments.

The story starts with what should have been a simple book trade but events quickly escalate. We move quickly from an adventure but to dragon politics and mysteries. It seems that a Librarian may be involved which violates the Library's pledge of neutrality. That pledge not only keeps the Librarians safe, more or less, from the affairs of the Fae and the Dragons but also keeps the balance throughout the worlds. Irene and Kai need to find the suspected rogue librarian and try to restore balance. However, they are on their own. If they are caught, by anyone, the Library will disavow them and them leave to survive on their own.

The set-up for this series allows for a wide variety of worlds and Cogman has had fun exploring them. Most of this story takes place on a world that has a country reminiscent of the USA in the 1920s and there's a wonderful scene where Irene finds herself in front of a crowd extemporizing on the evils of alcohol. The longer she's on stage talking, the longer she can avoid getting captured by one of the groups trying to coerce her. It was a fantastic scene showcasing Irene's quick-thinking and wit. Irene is clever, energetic, and practical, a good foil for Kai's impetuousness and impatient youthfulness. Kai and Irene are apart some of the time and Kai had to take the lead, which he did reasonably well though I found his parts of the story to be less interesting than Irene's. She can carry the story, he can't. 

"The Lost Plot" was full of interesting characters, intrigue, humor, shenanigans, and action. There are consequences to Irene and Kai's adventures and I can't wait to how they handle them and what Cogman throws at them next.

My reviews of earlier books:

Book 1, The Invisible Library
Book 2, The Masked City
Book 3, The Burning Page

2 comments:

  1. These sound so good but I'm just not that into the 20's.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only this book is set in a 20s type world. Each book takes place on a different world and not always in an American setting. Give the first book a try and see what you think.

      Delete

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