The Lost Plot, 4th book in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cobman, picks up once more with Irene the Librarian and her assistant Kai, this time opening up with a scene with vampires.

Overall, this book was well written and I did enjoy it. We have finally gotten to a point where I really care about Irene and Kai and this time we delve into Political Drama that has big impacts on Irene and Kai... maybe? We do get some payout that I've been waiting for since the first book and get to learn more about the Dragons and how their empires work, a little bit.

If you have made it this far in the series - this book was good, and the ending pushed me into the next novel. Before this I was debating if this would be the last book in the series to read for me.

The Invisible Library series continues to be a complete delight for booklovers! Each title drops the reader into a different world while following the adventures of the main characters adventures on behalf of the Library. I always love reading one of Cogman's novels and they are an easy hand-sell to customers looking for a new fantasy series!

The blurb had me at "prohibition and dragons" because that's just the kind of WTFery I'm into. It did not disappoint.

This series is everything. I don't think I could love it more. This book is smart, entertaining, and witty.

I've read most of the books in the "Invisible Library" series now and I'd have to say that this one connected with the me the most - which is perhaps a bit strange since this one seemed heavier on the fantasy (dragons and fae) than what I recall from the other books in the series.

Here Irene (a Librarian) and her trainee, Kai, travel to New York circa 1930 (or a world resembling this) to retrieve a book they've been commissioned to find, and to find out why the local Librarian has chosen sides. It wouldn't normally be in Irene's nature to retrieve a rare book for anyone other than the Library itself, but this particular request came from a dragon and dragons don't typically ask for help, so Irene agrees to look into it.

Irene will encounter a fair amount of betrayal along the way and she will challenge the dragons - which never bodes well.

One of the aspects that I really liked about this volume is that we get a solid look at the politics and social structure of the dragons. Author Genevieve Cogman not only gives us a solid story in her familiar Invisible Library universe, but expands that universe with a little more insight into some of the other characters.

I would think, however, that if this were the first book I picked up in the Invisible Library series I would be completely lost. Irene's connection to and work with the Invisible Library takes a back seat to the presiding story. In fact, taking on this job, brought to her by a dragon, goes against what the Library stands for. Of course, if you've read any of the books you already know that Irene tends to do as she pleases most of the time, and she does try to explain that she's not for hire ... but goes to work anyway.

Mostly this was just a lot of fun -a great summer read - and recommended for fans of fantasy/urban fantasy reads.

Looking for a good book? The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman is the fourth book in the Invisible Library series and a swiftly moving fantasy that should please fans of the genre.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet and enjoyable read. I am again sucked into this series as historical fiction adventures are my favorites, and the author did an excellent job not only referencing landmarks in American history (which was fun as heck), I loved the fantastical unraveling of the dragon plot which brought another facet to the story. The characters are fantastic, the plot is fun, the morals sweet. An enjoyable ride.

I enjoyed this book. I still love the characters and the Library concept, and it was kind of nice to see a setting (here, a simplistic 1930s flavor of NYC) other than the Victorian London that has dominated the previous installments. I also liked seeing more of the dragons and less of the Fae; the other side of the coin in Cogman’s storyworld, so to speak.

However, there was less humor than usual, the pacing was a little off, the plot sometimes relied more on strained stretches of logic than on solid problem-solving, and the ending seemed to come out of nowhere. I wanted rational discussion, not sudden kissing. The ending seemed to give primacy to romance and to the relationship in question, as if the entire plot preceding it was no more than filler whereas it should have been the most important aspect of the book. Also, while I am not on the side of one love interest over another in this case, and frankly I don’t see why Irene can’t indulge in multiple lovers — Irene is super badass like that! — her choice here seemed rather strangely, hastily written, and seemed to conflate different types of love (i.e., familial vs romantic) in a way that I found jarring.

And as usual, I wish to see more of the actual Library!

This series is just amazing, though I do feel that subsequent books have not lived up to the first installment, The Invisible Library. Still, one of the most entertaining series I'm currently reading and I do recommend it to a lot of fellow librarians and others in the bookish community.

"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..."

If it's about libraries I'm in no matter how supernatural, cheesy, what have you.

The Invisible Library is a secret organization, working across and between a myriad of worlds in countless realities. Irene is a Librarian, tasked with acquiring books by legal means…or any other way that works in Genevieve Cogman’s The Lost Plot, the fourth book in the Invisible Library series. The Librarians are neutrals between the chaotic Fae and the order-driven Dragons, but that balance is at risk when a Librarian is found helping an ambitious Dragon in a quest for a rare edition found only in a world stuck in the Prohibition era. Irene must hobnob with mobsters to get the book. Irene’s weapons: the Language that can control minds and objects, and her protégé Kai, who is a Dragon prince in disguise.
Without the help of a Sherlock Holmesian detective from her base in a steampunk London, she bounces from another Boston to a New York where things are blown up with alarming frequency…and she has been fingered to the police as a British crime kingpin. Some gangsters want to make deals with her, and others want to deal her out and put her six feet under.

The series is cheeky, action-filled, and ripe with sexual tension (How do they really feel about each other? What should they say? What should they do about it?). This volume starts with a mini-adventure (sort of like your favorite James Bond movie) involving vampires, an exchange gone wrong, power words, and threats of forced conversion, but all the special effects are in your mind.
Kai and Irene spend more time apart than usual, which gives them more space to deal with different threads of their tangled adventure. There is more uncovering of Dragon politics, and temporary allies can come from unexpected quarters. The Roaring '20s settings are reminiscent of Star Trek’s gangster-filled “A Piece of the Action” episode, but with undercover Dragons instead of Mr. Spock and the unfortunate laundry accident (extra points to Trekkers/Trekkies who remember that line).

It’s world-hopping fun with a wink and a smile. If you liked Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, you ought to check out the Invisible Library books by Genevieve Cogman.

The Lost Plot (Invisible Library #4) by Genevieve Cogman
Ace Books, 2018
Fantasy; 369 pgs
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

I probably say this every time I talk about the Invisible Library books, but this is such a fun series. Dimension jumping, magic-wielding librarian Irene always seems to find trouble—or rather, it finds her. In The Lost Plot, Irene and her ever loyal assistant Kai are tasked with finding a missing librarian in 1930’s New York after hearing that one of their own may be in a compromising position. Prohibition is in full swing as are the gangsters, with dragons warring against each other for power. Not only does Irene find herself at the center of it all, but now she must find a way to divert a possible war involving the Library, and also make sure she and Kai stay alive. Finding the wayward librarian brings about its own challenges as does finding and retrieving the coveted book that has caused all the trouble in the first place.

Irene, as always, is a very capable heroine. Resourceful and able to think quickly on her feet. I love her energy. I am also a big fan of Kai, who is charming and just as capable. The two make a good team. They share many of the same values and just want to do the right thing. Irene and Kai take their responsibilities to the Library very seriously, but know that sometimes rules have to be bent for the greater good.

I loved the setting—a definite hint of history and yet with a big twist. The reader gets a closer look at dragon politics in this book, and it was interesting to see how Kai fits into it all given his relationship to the Library and to Irene. We get to see a side to Kai that we have only until now seen hints of.

High in action and intensity, The Lost Plot did not disappoint. There was also the wit and humor I have come to expect in this series. I continue to love this series. I know when I pick up one of these books I am sure to be in for a great read.

Time-traveling librarian Irene Winters returns in The Lost Plot (Berkley/Penguin, digital galley), the fourth entry in Genevieve Cogman's clever Invisible Library series. The search for rare books takes Irene and her handsome apprentice Kai to all sorts of worlds and times through the vast Library's myriad portals. As a Library employee, Irene has to remain neutral in the ongoing political power struggle between the Fae and the Dragons, both of whom can assume human form. But Kai is a Dragon prince, and when his family needs help in a Jazz Age New York, he and Irene face two warring factions, mobsters, bootleggers and cops, once again putting their lives on the line for the not-always-understanding Library. Kogman again excels at atmosphere and action, and the slow-burn attraction between Irene and Kai flares anew.  In previous books, they've time-hopped to Victorian London, as well as alternate Russia and Venice, so no telling where they'll wind up next.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever 2/18

I continue to adore this series. The plots are endlessly creative, and the world building allows for an endless variety of lush settings. The Lost Plot is set in and alternate version of 1920s NYC, which YAS. And this series, again because of the creative world building, can be so many genres at once. It keeps the long series fresh and fun, even though the character development does move at a slower and more episodic pace than I usually have the patience for.

There were some definite steps forward character-wise in this one, though, and I am so excited for book five!

This series has quickly become on of my faves! All the books are on my must-buy list!

The Lost Plot is full of action as any good story involving prohibition era America should. It almost moves too quickly. It's over before you know it with Irene and Kai moving on to their next adventure which currently does not have a release date.

I actually enjoyed this book the most out of all the series. It really feels like Cogman's gotten better with each book, and is more comfortable in flexing her imaginative muscle. I thought the pacing kept the plot exciting, the new characters were intriguing while getting a chance to learn more about dragon politics added another extra layer of world building.

This was a more-than-worthy addition to the series. Irene and Kai continue to delight and yet still break my heart. I enjoyed learning more about dragon politics! I hope that we get a chance to visit Kai's home court at some point in the near future. Irene acting as an infamous crime boss was too awesome. The alternate where they spent most of novel wasn't quite as enchanting as alternate-Venice, largely because it bordered on the too-real, but I enjoyed the reading experience nonetheless. I look forward to more volumes in this series!

This is more of the same fun I've come to expect from the Invisible Library series. It's definitely my go to series when I want just a fun read. Somehow I wasn't quite as invested in the dragon politics going on in this book as I had been in the conflicts of the previous books, but it was still great to see Irene traveling worlds and collecting books. I'm definitely waiting to see what happens next after that ending!

Still rockin’ it through 4 in the series! I will never get tired of this world of libraries and, hello!!!, dragons!!!

The Invisible Library series consistently provides an entertaining and enjoyable reading experience. I love Irene and Kai, and I love the concept of the Library. While THE LOST PLOT felt like a side quest to the main, overarching plot of the series (no super evil librarians in sight here, or questions answered from previous books), it was still a great deal of fun to read.

THE LOST PLOT was full of danger around every corner for Irene and Kai, and I can honestly say I felt a little stressed out at times, trying to figure out how Irene was going to talk her way out of certain situations. She remains as capable and creative as ever, though, something that I very much appreciate about her character. Plus, she gets to play a lady gangster in a 1920s-esque New York, how badass is that?!

This book, while it felt a little like a detour from the main plot of Alberich trying to destroy the Library, still developed Irene and Kai as characters and developed their relationship in a way I was not really expecting. While they didn't get as much page time together as I would have liked, and I'm not 100% sure I love the way the relationship is going, I still liked the resolution at the end of the book.

All in all, THE LOST PLOT is an excellent installment in The Invisible Library series. This book also would work well as a stand alone, so readers new to the series could definitely jump in here without needing too much backstory. However, I do recommend the series as a whole!

I didn't seem to love this book as much as many of the other reviewers out there. Perhaps it was because I haven't read the other books in the series, but, maybe not.

I was never lost in the book even though I haven't read The Invisible Library #1-3. But, it always just seemed off. Perhaps it's because I have read too many other books where the library is a thing (like Warehouse 13 and The Librarians), and so my brain was having a bit of cognitive dissoance while reading.

It was a fun plot for sure. Irene and Kai were super interesting characters, and I wound up caring about what happened to them. And the Dragons and Fae and such, oh my... It was an intricate plot too, and that's always fun. But, I just found that I could never fully get in it, for whatever reason.

Still, it was a fun read, and the first three are definitely on my TBR list now. Maybe if I try this again after reading those I'll love it more than anything.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Ace/Berkley Publishing Group