The sixth book in Genevieve Cogman's fantasy/adventure 'The Invisible Library' series already! It seems like it that wasn't so long that the first book came out (I reviewed it in 2016).
Librarian Irene is on a short break from her last adventure when she gets the call for her next task. One of the worlds is devolving into chaos (the world where she grew up) and there is one book that can stop the madness. But there is only one known copy of that book and it is in the collection of a very mysterious trader/dear, Mr. Nemo.

Nemo welcomes Irene and Kai, and a few others, to a dinner gathering, where he asks that the party of individuals steal a specific painting from a specific world. In return, he will let each member take one item from his collection. It sounds easy, except having such a diverse, distrustful group try to work together might be too difficult to overcome.

I feel as though these books have settled into a comfortable groove. For some, that might not be a good thing, but I appreciate that the character of Irene isn't battling so many different fronts at this time. It's given me more of a chance to appreciate the story, rather than wondering which part of the story the action is coming from.

There is also a comfortability between Irene and Kai that makes this easier to read now.

This book feels like a good in-between book, still with action and excitement, but as if there's a reset happening before the next big shift in the storyline.

I enjoyed this quite a bit and look forward to the next in the series.

Looking for a good book? The Secret Chapter is the sixth book in Genevieve Cogman's The Invisible Library series and anyone interested in urban fantasy/adventure books will want to read this.

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

One doesn't get six books deep in a series without having no small amount of affection for it. (I am capable of grudge reading, but not THAT much grudge reading.) So when I say I'm finding these later outings to be a bit thin, I do want that tempered with the very real affection I have for Irene, the Library, and the worlds they inhabit. I did prefer The Secret Chapter to the one previous, The Mortal Word. They both introduce far too many new characters and don't do enough character work to make me care about them, but at least The Secret Chapter is more peripatetic. For so much of The Mortal Word, we were stuck in one place. The Secret Chapter also gets back to the heists that were the hallmarks of the first in the series. If I'm not mistaken, our very first introduction to Irene was while she was climbing out of a window to avoid being witch-burnt or similar.

Per usual, the fate of the world -- er, Library -- is imperiled, and Irene and trusty sidekick Kai must retrieve some book (I believe called "Zen and the Art of the McGuffin"?) from the dastardly Fae broker Mr Nemo. Mr Nemo has in turn put together a ragtag group of operators to work together to steal some other thing, at which point he'll give them all the items they're looking for. It's basically Nemo's 11. While I think it's fine to give the characters a break, and the contrivances necessitated to bring them along might have been deleterious, I did miss the presence of Vale and Silver. Indeed, I miss their whole steampunky high-chaos world. The relationship between Irene and Kai has never had any juice for me, but even Cogman seems bored of it and spends little time hashing out their workplace romance politics routine. This is a good thing.

All in all, this was a perfectly cromulent outing in the series, maybe a little better than its predecessor, definitely a little worse than the original books. The Secret Chapter is very inventive and energetic, pinwheeling from one well-rendered set piece to the next. It's just that I wish we could slow things down a bit, long enough to get down to the meat of thing; The Secret Chapter feels very on the skin. This is a world that has much more potential than is being explored right now.

The Invisible Library is one of those series which is so under hyped and I have no idea why! Not only does it have dangerously persuasive Fae and shape shifting dragons,but it also has books and a group of librarians. It's been a few years since I read the last book in this series, but it's so easy to fall back in with Kai and Irene. Now that peace has been established, even tenuous at best, even more side characters are introduced and involved.

My only exposure to the literary figure of Nemo is from "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman", but as soon as I saw his name in the synopsis I was so excited! In The Secret Chapter the politics of the worlds develop, and also expand. Like always, we are treated to worlds we have never known before, but also with this new landscape of politics. Combine the heist story line together with this fabulous fantasy world, and readers will be hooked.

As much as I enjoy this series, I do wish it was more information given within each book. Yes, this is going to be a long series, but the same kind of “Irene and Co. get into more shenanigans” plot format gets a bit repetitive.

This is a rare series where I think reading them as they're published is the perfect pace. They're episodic enough that you don't really need a refresher when you come back after a year. The Secret Chapter is another strong installment in the series.

Personally, I prefer the books that are less political and more adventure-tastic, and this one fulfilled that brief. Kai and Irene are sent to find a copy of a book, but the only way to trade for it is by taking part in a heist of a painting. It's sort of The Invisible Library does Ocean's 12, which is excellent fun. Obviously there are some politics, but it feels much more heist story/spy thriller than it does political fantasy, which is the vibe the last couple of books had.

But omg WHEN will the romance happen????? Or has it happened? It annoys me that I honestly can't tell. There will be these super vague lines referencing the relationship between Kai and Irene, and I don't know what's going on, which is obviously not frustrating AT ALL.

Anyway, I'm hoping the next installment will take place on Vale's world, because it's been a few books and my favorite ones have been based there. The problem with the travel is that it separates the main cast, so I'm rooting for that in the next one.

The Secret Chapter is another winner in the continuation of the Secret Library Series by Genvieve Cogman. I love this series and recommend it to everyone. Our heroine is a feisty, intelligent, capable librarian (a librarian!) and is part of a secret society of librarians who are part spy, part diplomat. This book focuses on the dragons and her lover and partner Kai and his side of the chaos/order continuum represented by the dragons vs the fae.

I wrote a blog post about the growing subgenre of librarypunk and this series is a part of it. I'm enjoying reading every one. This books gets four stars out of five because I thought it dragged a bit in parts and because I got a little tired of dragon politics, but all in all, a terrific library caper.

Librarian-spy Irene and dragon-prince Kai are off again. This time they are working on a trade that goes very wrong. There is tension and danger making it a fun read. I did feel that the plot was a little thin and the conclusion left a lot up in the air. Still a nice addition to the series.

The Invisible Library series is one of my favorites, and I was eager to dive into the latest book as soon as I could. Genevieve Cogman has crafted an intricate multi-dimensional world filled with supernatural beings, including fae and dragons, and, of course, our favorite magical Librarians. As the Library's representative lead for the treaty between the fae and dragons, Irene, knows how tenuous the situation is during its early days. When word comes that the world she spent much of her school years is in danger, she will do just about anything it takes to save it. Joined by her ever faithful companion, Kai, Irene finds herself in a very precarious position. In order to save the world she grew up in, she must steal a painting for the nefarious fae, Mr. Nemo. He's put together an unlikely team of fae and dragons, plus Irene, to carry out the heist. They all must walk a fine line of not breaching the treaty and yet stealing their prize. Not knowing their team members, Kai and Irene are not sure who to trust, and soon it becomes apparent that the theft faces quite a few obstacles. Not to mention the political aspects that come in to play to avoid breaching the treaty.

As with every book in the series, The Secret Chapter is full of nonstop action and colorful and unique characters. Irene is as clever and resourceful as ever. And I just adore Kai. With each book I feel like we get to know more about each of the main characters' backgrounds--and that of the world they live in. I am fascinated by the origins of the dragons. And I definitely want to know more about Irene's hidden past. Each book gets better and better, and I cannot wait to see where Cogman will take me next.

The Invisible Library Series continues. Although, you wont find a lot of romance in Cogman's books, there is plenty of magic, creature and political aspects. I would recommend reading previous books in this series as this is a continuity.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Fantastic addition to this series! I'm always so happy to read another one of Kai's and Irene's adventure and this book of course was no exception! I loved all the drama and intrigue and can't wait to read the next book!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Irene and Kai must walk a fine line being involved in a heist and maintaining their diplomatic relationship with the Fae and the Dragons. We get to see more of Irene's parents and explore their relationship. Continue to enjoy the mystery and intrigue Cogman creates in this fantasy world.

The newest book in the Invisible Library takes a slight turn from the past couple books and their ongoing storyline. We are in a new world with lots of new characters, a move that makes the book feel a little less repetitive, which is always welcome. Overall, the main character, Irene continues to annoy me based on her personality - I find her overly cocky, demanding, and frequently meaner than seems needed. However, the easy to consume storyline, low key romance, and writing keep me coming back. In this story, I enjoyed the opportunity to meet some new fairy archetype characters that are a contrast to other fairies we have met. Although I was missing Gale’s presence and enjoyed his brief cameos in the story.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new lighthearted read.

Another lovely installment of The Invisible Library series. This one involves heists, art history, James Bond parodies, and Irene being awesome. Oh, and we finally get to meet her parents.

3.5 stars

"The Secret Chapter" was an exciting, twisty read, full of politics, action and adventure, some family drama, and a challenging heist.

Irene has fond memories of the world where she grew up so when it's threatened, she is determined to save it. She'll do anything, even make deals with a mastermind thief, Mr. Nemo, who reminded me strongly of a Bond villain, and work with strangers she doesn't trust. The team Nemo puts together takes time to gel, and there are some misunderstandings along the way. And of course, what's a heist story without complications, betrayals, and personal drama? Both Irene and Kai got to show off their diplomatic abilities in this story, Kai especially. Although his arrogance still trips him up occasionally. Kai has grown the most over the series and I've enjoyed seeing him come into his own. In this story, we get to know both of them a bit better and learn more about their families and familial relationships.

Cogman’s writing immediately pulled me in and kept me engaged. As always, she balanced witty banter, sarcasm, political and philosophical observations, along with some mystery and suspense, and lots of adventure. Irene was once again our guide into the worlds of chaos, order, book preservation, and cosmic balance. We see the story through her perspective, learning info as she does. Though she was much better than I was at putting information into a cohesive whole and figuring things out. :D

Cogman's world building continues to amaze me. The politics, the magic systems, the personal relationships, are rich, complex, and multi-layered. It's both cohesive and messy, just life real life. While certain parts of the world are clearly inspired by the real world, Cogman has expanded and developed them, giving them their own life beyond their inspirations.

"The Secret Chapter" was fast paced, twisty, and full of revelations. I can't wait to see where Cogman goes next with the revelations from this book. I do hope we'll see more of Vale in the next book.

This book was fantastic! I remember reading the first book in this series, The Invisible Library, right around its publication date and knew that this was going to be a very special series. I have looked forward to each installment and have yet to be disappointed. One of the things that I love about the series is that the possibilities are endless. This book was my favorite in the series to date.

You would think that Irene and Kai would get a bit of a break after all of their work to secure a very important treaty but the fun never seems to stop for this pair. After a quick assassination attempt, they must face Irene's parents which proved to be an eye-opening situation. Before long, Irene is summoned to the Library and given the task to secure a very special book. Irene and Kai dealings with Mr. Nemo prove to be more difficult than expected and they find themselves being put on a team to pull off a very big heist.

This was a very exciting book. The action started in the few pages and really never let up. Just getting to Mr. Nemo was an adventure but the fun really got started once they made it to his island. It was really interesting to see Irene and Kai work within a group. Irene has a take-charge attitude which doesn't always work with the group. The task that they have seems almost impossible and they have to do it with a group that they don't completely trust. I had no idea how they were going to make it work and I love that the story kept me guessing.

The characters in this book were very well done. I have grown to love Irene and Kai over the course of this series and I liked them even a little more by the end of this book. I was a little sad that Detective Vale only made a quick appearance but there were so many new and interesting characters introduced in this book that I didn't miss him as much as I would have thought. The crew that Irene and Kai must work with were all really unique individuals. I wasn't sure who could really be trusted but there were a couple of individuals that really proved themselves in the end.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This is the sixth book in The Invisible Library series which is a series that really should be read in order. I loved the excitement of this story and thought that the task was incredibly unique. Once I started reading this book I did not want to put it down. I cannot wait to read more of this wonderful series!

I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group.

The truce between the dragons and the Fae changes how Librarians can operate. As co-signatory to the peace accords, the Library must remain a neutral party, which includes no stealing books (euphemistically called retrievals) even for the purpose of maintaining the balance of order and chaos. Unfortunately, a world is now in danger of descending into chaos, a world for which Librarian Irene Winters cares deeply. Because of the treaty, she is tasked with negotiating with the Fae holding the book necessary to restore balance to Gamma-017, but Mr. Nemo has some tricks up his sleeves as well. Can Irene and Kai accomplish the task Mr. Nemo demands in exchange for the book, particularly considering the motley crew he insists they work with?

THE SECRET CHAPTER is the sixth book in the <i>Invisible Library</i> series and is best appreciated in the context of the series as a whole. Genevieve Cogman’s world building has reached a crucial stage with the newly ratified treaty, and it helps for a reader to have some prior understanding of the dynamics between Librarians, the Fae, and the dragons. THE SECRET CHAPTER adds some new wrinkles and the importance of this new knowledge will only make sense if one already has at least a general understanding from prior books in the series.

Irene is one heck of a heroine! She’s smart, clever, loyal, and above all she wants to do the right thing. THE SECRET CHAPTER puts her to the test in many different ways and I love that Irene always remains true to who she is, even when it’s at risk to her own life or emotions. And oh, I love that we get to meet her parents and dig a little deeper into their relationship!

Genevieve Cogman has done it again! THE SECRET CHAPTER is yet another phenomenal chapter in the <i>Invisible Library</i> series and one that opens up a myriad of future possibilities. The <i>Invisible Library</i> series is a clever series, full of intriguing and thoughtful twists and turns interspersed with some fantastic action and character development. If you love fantasy, dragons, or just a darned good story where the Librarian is the heroine and books have power, then THE SECRET CHAPTER and the <i>Invisible Library</i> series are must reads!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction* Also, book will be featured in an upcoming fantasy/urban fantasy article at Fresh Fiction

Genevieve Cogman enters another chapter in the Invisible Library, The Secret Chapter has the Librarian Irene who is part of a dragon, fae, librarian group to oversee a truce treaty between the three parties, engaged to regain a special edition of a book which will help stabilize the world where Irene grew up. Mr. Nemo who holds the book engages a team to grab a painting from a low magic world : Irene the Librarian joins the team with the book as the proposed reward. When the enter the world with the painting everything goes to hell in a handbasket. Relax and watch paranormal doublecrosses. Will Kai, the dragon prince and Irene survive this adventure?

Librarian Irene is summoned to the Library and tasked with negotiating with a Fae for a very specific book needed to stabilize a world Irene has fond memories of. Accompanied by the dragon prince Kai, in human form, the two travel to the Caribbean and find themselves part of an unlikely team comprised of Fae, dragons, and a Librarian charged with stealing a painting from a museum in Vienna on yet another world. Promised anything as a reward, the group sets off to a world where supernatural beings are actively hunted and a trio of dragons hold power. As they puzzle out how to steal the painting, the bigger question becomes whether or not to trust each other.

This is part of the Invisible Library series, something I was not aware of when I requested it from NetGalley. I thought the idea of a librarian teaming up with a dragon and Fae sounded interesting, and was pleasantly surprised to realize I hadn't necessarily needed to read the previous books, though I also sensed it would have helped make more of the book make better sense. Still, this was an interesting novel, though I do feel like I was missing some pieces of information to paint a richer picture.

The Characters: Interesting Characters, But I'm Missing Something

I liked the characters, but I wouldn't say I loved any of them. As a matter of fact, I easily confused most of the Fae all the way through the book. I did enjoy how sharply different the Fae and dragons were from each other, though. It was interesting to read how this motley group managed to work together.

It's a little difficult to comment on the characters when I know this book is the most recent in the series and I haven't had the pleasure of getting to know them over several stories. I'm a little confused about the relationship between Irene and Kai, but I liked how close they seemed, being able to maintain a friendship and still be able to work together professionally. Still, I felt I was missing out on a few things, so I'll keep it to I enjoyed the characters, I thought they were interesting, the relationships were amusing to read about, but I was unable to know them well.

The World Building: Fascinating Interconnecting Worlds

I was most impressed by the world building. Even though this was just my first introduction to the series and I haven't read the books that come before, I was very interested in how the worlds were developed and how they functioned. The idea of multiple parallel worlds whose histories and designs differed by a shade from another was quite interesting, and I would be willing to read the other books just to explore more worlds.

The world in this book involved supernatural beings being hunted by a sort of police force. Of course, the world also contained a few secrets and twisty relationships, and those were fun. It was lovely to see how the world unfolded. I most particularly loved that this was a world that was new not just to me, but to the characters. It was one thing we could all explore.

My favorite part was that the city of Vienna was grounded in the real city, making it easier to jump right into it. Though it differs, greatly, it was still nice to have a springboard to make the transition into another world easier. I especially liked that it was something familiar and it was easy to see how this world could have developed considering I haven't had the benefit of reading the prior novels, so have little idea of how these worlds function and how they developed.

The Plot: Fascinatingly Criminal, But Way Too Convenient

The thing that most frustrated me with this book was the story. I thought it was interesting in that librarians are little more than thieves and spies, so Irene's shady dealings and deeds made sense. I liked the idea of having to steal something that added to the greater fabric of the series in order to obtain a book. It was fascinatingly criminal, and I really liked the spin on librarians and libraries.

At the same time, I was annoyed at the way the story moved forward. As interesting as I found the plot, which was why I requested it in the first place, I felt everything was a little too convenient and other parts were seemingly thrown in.  It was irritating when Irene and Kai would get into trouble so easily, only to be able to use magical powers to magically spring free. It was too easy, and made the trouble parts feel like their sole purpose was to either pad the story or serve as tension. By the end of the book, I had caught on to the pattern, so felt very little to no tension when I should have. It was too easy to roll my eyes and just tell myself one or both would use their powers to get out.

I think it's safe to say I like the idea behind the story. I did not enjoy the execution.

Overall: A Mixed Bag

This book felt like a mixed bag to me. There were things I liked and things I clearly did not enjoy. I loved the idea of there being humans, Fae, and dragons and having them intermingle both on friendly and antagonistic terms. I enjoyed the worlds and the idea between them. I did not enjoy the execution. Overall, though, it was a fun, readable book for someone who hasn't read the prior books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group - Ace, for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-the-secret-chapter-by-genevieve-cogman

This series is pretty much frying pans and fires all the way down, but this entry has an added fillip of archetypal James Bond movie villains to put a bit of extra zing into this increasingly wild ride of a story.

And there are dragons. There are definitely dragons. In this particular entry in the series, there are dragons on all sides. Irene is, of course, accompanied by her own personal dragon, her apprentice-turned-lover Kai.

While dragons in this universe are creatures of order, and Kai is an actual prince among his kind, the side that Kai is generally on – as well as nearly always at – is Irene’s.

But he’s not the only dragon in this one. And not all of them are exactly on the side of the angels. Or even all on the same side. In fact, it could be said that one of the dragons is more than a bit chaotic – at least insofar as anarchy generally equates to chaos – even if the dragon in question doesn’t see it that way.

The Secret Chapter is both a caper story and a followup to the previous entry in the series, The Mortal Word, without being directly dependent on its predecessor. Well, Irene’s and Kai’s actions are influenced by those previous events, but the caper they find themselves in the middle of doesn’t directly relate to the treaty between Dragons and Fae squabbled over during that story and finally signed at the end.

Instead, this one at first hearkens back to earlier books in the series – and earlier escapades in Irene’s past. Irene is sent to the lair of an archetypal fae collector and information broker – cue the James Bond music – to negotiate the acquisition of a book from Mr. Nemo’s collection that will stabilize the world where Irene went to school.

And that’s where the caper comes in. Mr. Nemo collects lots of interesting things – and people. As a powerful fae, it’s both who he is and what he does. He gets and keeps his power from embodying that archetype.

In return for the book that Irene and the Library desperately want, Mr. Nemo requires that they, along with a motley crew that he has previously assembled, steal a particular painting from a specified world and bring it back to his lair.

The caper, the theft, and the way it works – and doesn’t – may remind readers a bit of the TV series Leverage. It’s the old story of taking a thief to catch a thief, but with multiple twists – not always expected.

This is one of those stories where things are far from what they seem. The thug isn’t a thug, the prisoner isn’t a prisoner, the painting isn’t just a painting. It’s also the “secret chapter” of the book’s title. It’s a secret chapter in the history of the dragons – a secret that no dragon should ever want to let out.

But then there’s that anarchist…

Escape Rating A-: If the pattern for the previous book in this series was that of a murder mystery, the pattern for The Secret Chapter is the caper movie crossed with James Bond-type villainy. It’s the motley crew carrying off the heist for the best of all possible reasons, like Leverage. With a villain like Blofeld or Goldfinger pulling the strings behind the scenes. (I’m pretty sure I remember a Bond movie or two that included that scene with the sharks…)

But underneath that set up, there are more interesting games afoot. Or a-wing in the case of the dragon members of the barely together party.

There is more than one “secret chapter” in this story. Come to think of it, both Irene and Kai are dealing with secret chapters of their lives and histories that have all the impact of a bomb in this entry in the series.

(Take that as a hint, don’t start the series here. Begin your journey at The Invisible Library and be prepared to get lost in the stacks.)

The secrets that Irene exposes – or feels exposed by – are all personal. She and her parents have to resolve Irene’s discovery that she was adopted – and that they never told her. Her sense of herself is still reeling a bit. That the book she needs to retrieve will prevent the world where she went to school, one of the few stable places in her chaotic history, from falling into absolute chaos gives the story a personal stake for her.

At the same time, one of the many, many things in this caper that are not what they seem is the painting that they have to steal. It IS a painting – but it isn’t the painting that they think it is. Or not just that painting. Hidden underneath the masterpiece is something else altogether – a half-finished painting that is intended to undermine every so-called history that the eternal, immortal dragon rulers have ever told about themselves. Whether the revisionist history of the painting is a truth that they’ve been covering for millennia or propaganda created for the purpose of destabilizing the dragons is anyone’s guess.

From Irene’s perspective the truth doesn’t matter. Destabilizing the dragons will cause chaos throughout the multiverse that the Library protects. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, of the one – or of the truth.

I can’t wait for further truths to be revealed – or concealed – in future books in this series. Book 7 is already in the works!