Review – Ink and Bone by: Rachel Caine

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…

When you think of Library, you think of peace and quiet and surrounded by pages that cannot hurt you. However in Ink and Bone the Library is the complete opposite of everything you have come to learn. In Ink and Bone, the library is controlled, magical, life threatening, and it essentially runs the entire world. When I first started reading this book, I was not sure where it was going or if I was going to be able to get through this story, however after finishing I am sitting here like the mouth hanging open emoji. Once Ink and Bone starts to really dive into Jess’s story, I couldn’t put this book down.

I admit in the beginning, I did not instantly connect with our protagonist, Jess and I was not quite sure where the story was heading either. As it continued the action got greater, the characters we meet make you fall in love with them, and the world building was modern yet something completely new and quite terrifying. My favorite character to follow was Christopher Wolfe. He’s one of those tough exterior characters that you have to grow to love, and I’m excited to see where the whole gang ends up in the next book.

Ink and Bone is full of drama and exciting turns however it is also very dark. If you’re looking for a book full of thrills and one that flips your views of something so soothing into a dystopia, this is definitely a story for you. I would definitely recommend Ink and Bone and very curious to see where the sequel will take us.