Cogman's series continues to delight. Irene the supernatural librarian is this nerd girl's dream come true. Forget Superman and Batman. Librarian to the rescue! Smart, resourceful, pretty but her looks are incidental. It's her brain that makes her a heroine. Love this series.

A fun, meta-heavy take on tropes and the power of libraries, with layered characters, witty banter, and smart world-building.

Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title, and a DNF of the first book in the series, and the fact that the title has been archived.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

The Invisible Library series has been hit-or-miss for me, and The Burning Page falls into the “miss” category. After enjoying The Masked City as much as I did, I eagerly dove into Irene and Kai’s latest adventure, only to find myself bored for the majority of the book.

The biggest issue I have is that neither the main characters nor the Library itself feel fully developed. I’ve been waiting to learn more about the Library and with the institution under attack by the series’ big bad, Alberich, it felt like the perfect opportunity for insight. Alas, the threat of the destruction of the Library didn’t actually add tension to the story (not once did I actually feel like Irene wouldn’t pull something out of her hat and save the day), nor did it allow readers to go below the surface of the Library’s workings. Alberich throws out some interesting tidbits and there seems to be some internal grumblings among the Librarians, but apparently any new information will have to wait to be explored in future books. As for the characters, both Kai and Vale have grown sort of stale. Kai, who charmed me in previous books, was borderline unlikeable at times and though I allow a lot of leeway considering he’s a dragon (and thus aligned with order), his stubbornness felt like he hadn’t learned anything so far. As for Vale, he still hasn’t risen above a pale imitation of Sherlock Holmes, and when you throw in the painfully awkward forced intimacy between him and Irene, I was just left wanting more. Which brings me to Irene herself. She’s the heart and soul of this series and she falls flat as a character. I don’t need my protagonists to be likeable (she is neither likeable nor unlikeable), but I do want them to be interesting. Irene has unfortunately become a rather generic sort of hero with a possible interesting backstory (presumably to be revealed in future books) who rushes headlong into danger and relies heavily on the Language.

What captured my interest about the first book in the series, The Invisible Library, was the potential in the world. Genevieve Cogman set up a world of infinite possibilities and I was so excited to see what she would do. But the possibilities are largely squandered due to a heavy reliance on the Language, which now seems to be without limits. That’s largely why the stakes feel fairly low in The Burning Page – Irene’s use of the Language seems to fix pretty much everything.

I struggled with rating The Burning Page because it isn’t altogether bad. The beginning and the end are highly entertaining and when Ms. Cogman’s writing is focused she can deliver exciting scenes. But on the whole, The Burning Page felt like it could have been a novella and nothing would have been lost. The story was treading water for most of its length and that just doesn’t make for interesting reading. Even though this ultimately wasn’t the book for me, there’s so much potential in this series that I’ll be giving the next book a shot.

I absolutely love the world that Genevieve Cogman has created in this series. Its nature allows each book to have its own feel while still all flowing together. I was excited and intrigued by the tidbits we learn in this book that leave us anxious for the next installment. I can't wait to move on to book 4!

This whole series is a whimsical, light-hearted romp through a different world, one where the Library itself is a magical entity. It has whispers of romance, betrayal, and mystery. I have thoroughly enjoyed each one so far, even though it is far off my usual reading preferences. But sometimes, you just need something that is not all doom and gloom. Kudos to the author, and I look forward to more!

Somehow I missed the second book in Genevieve Cogman's The Invisible Library series, but that didn't stop me from quickly requesting this third book when I saw it was available.

I realized pretty early on in the book that I've missed a thing or two from the second volume, but for the most part the characters and situations are described well through the story and we're given the information we need to make sense of the current story.

Alberich, a villain to The Library, has delivered an ultimatum -- he must be given complete control of The Library or he will destroy The Library and kill Librarians along the way. The Library is very much like any other series of libraries, filled with books, but it is also a portal to other dimensions and The Library collects rare books for safe-keeping from many different dimensions. Being a portal to other dimensions means there are other potential repercussions should The Library system fall in to the wrong hands. But The Library tries to remain very neutral when it comes to politics and might.

Irene is a Librarian, though she's apparently been in some trouble and is currently on probation. But nobody knows the nefarious workings of Alberich the way Irene does and when Libraries are starting to crumble and Librarians killed, Irene may be the only one who can stop him.

This was a tremendously entertaining read, with plenty of action. The entire climactic sequence was a true page-turning thrill-a-minute. Cogman keeps the reader on the edge for many pages. I remember enjoying the first book, but I don't remember it being as exciting and thrilling as this read.

Too often I'll pick up a book that's mid-way through a series and I won't have a clue what's going on. Here we get all the information we need to enjoy the story and because of that I WANT to go back and read the volume before this.

The Library is a great concept for an urban fantasy and Genevieve Cogman is working it very well. This book is highly recommended for fantasy fans.

Looking for a good book? Genevieve Cogman's The Burning Page is a thrilling urban fantasy that is a must-read.

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

In the third book of the Invisible Library series, Irene is on probation and is set with retrieving books for the Library. But as usual, things take a turn for the worse, when Alberich starts sending mysterious messages that he will destroy the Library. He offers that Irene can join him instead of being destroyed but Irene has other ideas. She must save the Library at all costs!

The best book in the series to date. Vale is contaminated with chaos, from the previous escapade that got Irene on probation, and saved Kai from being sold to the highest bidder. Irene is struggling to find a way to save Vale before the worst happens. The developing chemistry that Irene has with both Kai and Vale never quite gets answered but the possibilities are all there. I am hoping that in future books things will develop.

Wow. This book is a bit hard to review. Hence why is seating there on my To Be Reviewed pile for so long. Ahem. Let's give it a try.

- Ge get to see more of the Library itself!!! That is one of the good news.
- We get to see our favorite characters in action and they are great! The other good news.
- The story pace is a bit slow.. at least till halfway the story. That is a not so good news.

Overall, the book is a good adding to the series. The main characters have to get themselves out of yet another not so good situation, as usual, and we get to get some questions answered.

Am I going to rush to the next book as soon as it goes out? Probably not. Am I going to read it? Definitely.

As a librarian, I'm so grateful to not have this much trouble tracking down a book. Don't think I could handle all the action, intrigue, stress, not to mention bodily harm. So glad my job is dull and boring compared to Irene's! Another good book in the Invisible Library series. Kept you on your toes as to what might be lurking around the corner and how much more trouble Irene and Kai could stumble into. The answer is lots!

I have wanted to read The Masked City so bad, since it was first released, but I never came across a copy and there were a lot of people ahead of me, on hold to download a copy from the library. So, it would have taken forever.

Then, I came across The Burning Page on NetGalley. I read the description and was interested, not even realizing that it was the third (and I until just not, what I thought was the final, but keep reading) book in the same series as The Masked City.

I wasn't even aware of this fact until I was approved to receive a review copy of the book, and thus began my wonderful journey through this magnificent series.

Background from Book One, The Invisible Library:

The first book explains all about the secret library that exists across worlds in an alternative reality. The Librarians' purpose is to "obtain" (and sometimes steal) rare books from various worlds in order to preserve them, which helps them maintain order. The first book is the first of such adventures for Irene, a junior Librarian, and her new assistant, Kai.

Throughout the story, all kinds of obstacles prevent them from retrieving the book in a world filled with chaos and magic. They make friends and enemies along the way, and the ending is the perfect set up for the second book, The Masked City.

No spoilers, but oh boy was a happy that I waited to read The Masked City.

The Masked City was worth the wait, but I am soooo glad that I didn't have to wait to read if after finishing The Invisible Library. I would have cried.

Instead of crying and wishing that I had a time machine to travel to the point in the future where I could pick up a copy, I was able to start reading the second book immediately after finishing the first.

So, I received my copy of The Burning Page and realized that I absolutely had to get copies of the first two books so that I could review it. I know, torture, right?!

The Burning Page starts out with an Inter-Library notice of the status of several alternate worlds, letting the Librarians know which worlds are safe, and which are prohibited from travel. Some are at war, some are experiencing power struggles between the fae (who crave chaos) and the dragons (who strive for order), and some have been looking a little too closely into the Library's dealings, making them not safe for travel, as Librarians must never reveal the existence of the Library or their relationship to it.

Apparently some worlds have cloned dinosaurs. I particularly like this quote in one of the notices:

"In fact, we wish to remind all Librarians that they are here to collect books, not dinosaurs. Those Librarians who have problems distinguishing between the two should take a refresher course in Library basics."

Again, I am so glad that I did not have to wait read this book! I would have cried if I had to wait to see how the story ends...

At the time I wrote the above statement, I thought that The Burning Page was the last book in the series. However, just now, as I was pulling the covers for this post, I saw that another book has been added, and I cannot contain by excitement! Here is the cover that is posted for The Lost Plot, scheduled to be released this December.

The description of The Lost Plot was recently posted on GoodReads, and it sounds AH-MAY-ZING!

So, thank you, NetGalley for alleviating my sorrow at having to wait to read The Burning Page. I will be anxiously waiting for the chance to read The Lost Plot!

The Burning Page, book 3 in the series, takes us back to the alternate London where Irene and Kai are stationed after book two. That’s isn’t to say there is less action or that we aren’t learning about other alternates. In fact, Cogman takes us inside the inner workings of The Library itself and Kai and Irene journey to an alternate Russia.

Book three in this series is focused on Irene again with Kai and Vale playing supporting roles. Where book two was about Irene figuring out who she is as an individual, The Burning Page focuses on Irene the Librarian and Irene the Friend. She is dealing with moral decisions that affect The Library and its connection to the world at large. These decisions also force her to confront, at least in her head, her desire to have a romantic relationship. Will Irene focus on her career or her love life? It is a question many women, real and fictional, face. (Check out my review of Girl in Disguise!) And while I feel that romance isn’t necessary, some of the most humorous (and embarrassing) points in the books are men fawning over Irene in their own unique ways. Cogman plays the romantic tease quite well.

My pain points from book 2 (the hints at a bigger plot involving The Library and the archaic language) are no longer pain points. Alberich (Irene’s Moriarty) is back and dropping hints about The Library—bringing back into question The Library’s ideals and power. And since there is a hint of romance in the air, further questions are being raised about Irene’s parentage. Do I get a sense that book 4 might explore all of this further?

My favorite part about The Burning Page is that the series could be done and I would be completely happy with the ending. While there are hints of a larger story with Alberich, The Library and Irene’s parents, Cogman did an excellent job of wrapping up the story and leaving a satisfying conclusion. However, I have it on good authority that books 4 and 5 are in the works!

The Burning Page (The Invisible Library, #3) by Genevieve Cogman
Roc, 2016
Fantasy; 368 pgs
Source: NetGalley

I just love this series. Irene is braver than I sometimes expect her to be--which is silly given I've read both earlier books in the series and she is always brave. The Library is being threatened and Irene finds herself at the heart of it when the Library's arch-nemesis Alberich tries to draw her to his side. I didn't find this novel quite as intense as the other two, but I did like it. We learn a bit more about the Library and its role as well as the unrest within the Library itself.

Irene is sent to a realm high in Order (the last book she was in a high chaos world controlled by the fae) and she must retrieve a book that has proven to be quite elusive to other Librarians who have gone after it. She and Kai run into quite a bit of trouble, much of which they are able to get out of--but not without drawing attention to themselves.

We see a different side of Vale, the private detective both Irene and Kai are quite fond of in their assigned alternate London. He is suffering the consequences of events from the previous book. Irene wants to help him, but isn't sure how. She knows something must be done, regardless.

There is a particularly cry-worthy scene for those of us who love books--or rather one that might make you cringe--it did me. But maybe not. It really was the only recourse, sad as that may be.

Although not my favorite in the series, ultimately, I enjoyed The Burning Page very much and cannot wait until the next book. Like its predecessors, it is fast paced and a fun read. I really must know what the fallout will be after this last adventure!

THE BURNING PAGE combines the best of THE MASKED CITY and THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY to produce a madcap, world-jumping caper. With the return of Alberich, stakes are high and Irene and Kai have no idea who they can trust, inside or outside the Library. A thrilling read, THE BURNING PAGE should delight any fan of the Invisible Library series.

In THE BURNING PAGE, Irene cements her place as one of my favorite fantasy protagonists. She is competent and smart, and doesn't let her mistakes cause herself to second-guess every decision she makes in the future. She gets the job done but is able to ask for help when she needs it (mostly). She's a remarkably compelling heroine, in my opinion, as though there are some small bits of romantic tension between her and the various men in her life, she doesn't ever let that get between her and her job, which I love. In a genre sometimes littered with unnecessary sex scenes, I enjoy the muted romance in THE BURNING PAGE.

The world expands even further in THE BURNING PAGE, as Irene and Kai go to even more alternate worlds on missions. We're treated to a trip to a world with magic and high-order, and Irene gets to use the Language to get her and Kai out of quite a few sticky situations. If I have one complaint about the book, it's that the Language seems to be a catch-all "get out of jail free" card, sometimes making a situation almost too easy to escape from. Regardless, there still is plenty of danger, and Irene manages to think her way creatively out of all of it (did I mention I loved how competent she is?).

All in all, THE BURNING PAGE manages to answer some questions, but also brings new ones to the front of the reader's mind, and I, for one, am desperately wanting to read the next book, THE LOST PLOT. Unfortunately, there's a bit of a longer wait for this one, so I'll be over here, stewing on the mysteries Cogman introduces.

In this book, Irene and Kai are back working together. With Kai's nature as a dragon revealed, he uses his abilities and true form more freely, and also seems to be a bit more forceful with Irene, although he still ultimately defers to her orders. I do like their relationship and am wondering where it's going to go.

The Library itself is under attack, no longer the safe zone that it has been. The nature of the threat is uncertain, although Alberich seems to be involved. I have to confess that I'm not quite clear on how books affect the Library and worlds to which they are linked, but that seems to be part of the problem.

Irene is sent off on a quest for a book into an alternate nineteenth century Russia where magic and order are strong characteristics. At this point, I'm unfortunately starting to feel like the books are just McGuffins, objects to get the plot moving, more than they are the point of the series. The reason to get the book seemed thin, and really a justification for a new setting. I'm sad about this, because the idea of an infinite library is one that really resonates with me- I'd love to see something like that and part of me really wants to believe it exists! But between intrigue and danger threatening, the politics of the higher Librarians don't seem that different than politics with any powerful group of people. They don't need to be Librarians in order to be in or deal with the situation as presented in the book, just powerful magic users. So the book-loving part of me isn't getting satisfaction with the concept.

With an infinite number of worlds, with Irene hopping back and forth, the stakes on any one world never seem very high- the scale of the universe is just so vast that one version of Catherine the Great doesn't seem like such a big deal, even if she rules most of the one world she's in. I did like the idea of magically levitating reindeer sleighs instead of planes to get places fast, and I liked the Russian bear guards sniffing out magic at the sleigh-port.

After the Russia angle plays out, Irene goes back to her steampunk-London setting. Her detective friend Vale is suffering the consequences of having traveled to a highly chaotic world in order to help rescue Kai in the last book. Also, her serpent-loving Fae friend from the previous book, Zayana, has turned up and is trying to attach herself to Irene- definitely not a coincidence.

Finally, Irene ends up traveling to confront Alberich on his own terms with no preparation because one of her friends will end up dead if she doesn't act immediately. This scene also feels like a set piece without much relation to the rest of the book.

That seems to be the trouble with this book. I know that the author has a plan and overarching plot, but the seams are showing. Characters are put into place in various settings and rushed along so that the reader doesn't have too much time to think about the logic of everything, but it feels to me like the author has some cool scenes in her head and is forcing these scenes into a plot. The book felt very disconnected. At the very end of the book, the change in tone was jarring to me.

Scene by scene, the author can generate tension, but I'm not satisfied by the plot arc of the series or by how the Library has become just another organization instead of one that loves and treasures books in addition to using them. I need to see a bit more from the next book.

This is one of the those books where I didn't pay close enough attention that it was a book in the middle of a series. After a few chapters, however, I noticed I was missing a few things. Particularly a stronger character backstory. I imagine those relationships were established in a previous book and now I've got a few more books on my never-ending TBR list. Once I got over my personal fumble, the actual story of The Burning Page was very interesting. The Library under attack, Irene hounded by assassination attempts and secrets always lurking in the shadows. Definitely a good read.

Genevieve Cogman’s third installment of her Invisible Library series finds Irene on probation after her actions of The Masked City. She ventured way off script and she’s being punished for it – despite preventing a war between the fae and the dragons. But it seems that even while on probation, trouble can’t leave her and Kai alone.

Alberich is back and he will no longer be satisfied with recovering a single book, oh no. His goals have reached all new levels – destroy the Library itself. Unfortunately for Irene, and her comrades, he starts to succeed. He plans to take the Library down, wreak havoc and chaos in all the worlds, and it’s working.

Irene has to fight with all she has to overcome Albericht, being tainted by chaos, saving her friends from him – and themselves – and saving the Library, all the while not knowing who she can trust completely.

I was so enthralled by The Burning Page! I know I’ve said this in my reviews for The Invisible Library and The Masked City but Cogman’s writing is so smart! She’s extremely intelligent and her books make you pay attention. You can’t just gloss right through them or you’re bound to miss an important piece of information or a clue that will come up later.

Irene has quickly become a favorite character of mine, as well as Kai and Vale. Their dynamic is not unique, but it’s fun to see them interact on a personal and professional level, especially in the crazy situations they wind up in. Irene and Kai are smart, strong, and resourceful, and Vale is their world’s greatest detective.

The Invisible Library has been such a unique series involving various sects (humans, fae and dragons) living in realms of differing levels of chaos, and accessible by librarians who seek to preserve the order and existence of each unique realm by collecting its important works of literature.

Our protagonist is Irene, a librarian/spy who is sent on missions by library superiors to fetch books from different worlds. Her sidekick, mentee and possible future love interest is Kai, a dragon royal prince and intern for the library. Detective Peregrine Vale (in an iteration of London) is also a tag-along and possible love interest, but it doesn't seem to be a budding love triangle as Kai has given his permission for Irene to engage a relationship with both men. But so far, we have no heat, only the hint of things to come. I have had a hard time gauging a relationship among these three as, in my head, I am seeing Kai as very young, Vale as older, and Irene as somewhere in the middle. I don't have much reason to back that up - and even Irene said in this book that she is in her late 30s - but that is how the impression of each character formed as I was reading. I do hope some sort of relationship comes to fruition in the next book as I feel like it has been dragged out enough.

In this installment of the series, Irene and Kai are back in Vale's London with Irene on probation as a result of her actions in The Masked City. The showcase antagonist for The Burning Page is Alberich, who played a tangential villainous role in the previous books. I was happy to see him front and center as the bad guy this time as he is the bogeyman of the library and I wanted to see what he could really do. This time he is out to destroy the library entirely, and he easily focuses on Irene due to their prior encounters (and her subsequent escapes). Alberich didn't seem quite so evil in this story - at least he didn't skin any librarians and wear their skin like a suit (blech). However he was a man possessed and he is determined to bring down the library for a very specific reason, which we finally discover. The majority of the action took place in the last 20% of the book, and I really liked the story from that point forward. Seeing Irene and Alberich go head to head was captivating. However the earlier parts of the book dragged a bit and I was impatient to get to the big showdown.

I have to admit that this series is confusing at times, and the fantastical aspects could be flushed out a little more. The Burning Page was not as confusing as the chaos stories in The Masked City, but there were areas which could have been expounded upon. Alberich's motivations were one area... while we learned what he is looking for, I would have liked to learn more about his backstory with his sister and the library in general. After some of the revelations in this book, I have a sneaking suspicion about what may be revealed in the future and I am looking forward to seeing if I am right. I did like that this story went back to the book hunt/theft somewhat as we got away from the premise in The Masked Series, and the books/library aspect was one of the things that appealed to me about the series as a whole.

I recommend this series to any book lover who likes fantasy and/or a more complicated read... this series does not feel like a fluff piece. The varying worlds are diverse and complex, and sometimes the chaotic worlds will make your eyes cross. But this author definitely has a good imagination and world-building skills.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Berkley/Roc.

Not my favorite of the trilogy, but a good end to the series. Nice to see Kai using those dragon skills! This book had a much darker tone than the others in the series. Lots of action, including a final battle that reminded me of the Fiendfire scene in the Room of Requirement in Deathly Hallows.