Review: Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine

Title: Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2)

Author: Rachel Caine

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: The Great Library
Goodreads

'In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…
With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.
Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.
Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.
But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…' 

My thoughts

Rating: 

I am so so happy that I got a chance to read the e-arc of Paper and Fire via Netgalley, because I don't know if I could have waited any longer to read this. Ink and Bone is my favourite read of 2016 so far, so Paper and Fire had a lot to live up to, and boy, it succeeded. This book was amazing. A-MA-ZING. I loved every single second I spend reading this book, and every single sentence made me fall in love with this series even more.

Much like the first book, Paper and Fire was action-packed, very fast paced and highly addictive. In this novel, we follow Jess and his friends after they've survived their introduction to the Library, and now all have their very own position in it's 'society'. When they find out that one of their own is in great danger, they embark on a journey to save them, and they find themselves becoming enemies of the Library. While being hunted by the Library, including some very badass lion automatons, more and more of the Libary's secrets begin to unravel. 

While I did prefer the first book, Paper and Fire was very enjoyable (to say the least). The characters are still my favourite thing about this book. That, and the world building. Both are done very well, and all of the characters have such a distinct voice that, even if the book wouldn't have said which character spoke a certain sentence, you still would've known. Sadly, there is one character who I don't really care for, which is our main character Jess. It's not that I don't like him, I just don't really care for him. Same goes for the romantic relationships in this book; they never really gave me butterflies, or any feelings at all. Except for Wolfe and Santi's romance, but I think that's mainly because of this short story. 

Even though there were a few aspects of this book that I didn't love, I still very much enjoyed this book. Well, 'very much enjoyed' doesn't really capture it. I couldn't put this book down and it kept me up for many hours, and it got me out of a mini reading-slump, so that's a lot more than 'very much enjoyed'; I loved it.

So, if you haven't started reading this series yet; what are you waiting for?

5 Reasons Why You Should Read Ink and Bone

Title: Ink and Bone

Author: Rachel Caine

Pages: 352

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Publisher: NAL

Goodreads Synopsis

'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… '

Rating: 

I've recently read Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine, and once I finished it and started my review I didn't like anything I wrote. It didn't seem like my words could do this book justice. That's why I decided not to write a normal review for this book, but list five things that made me love this book, in the hope that you'll want to read it too. (Seriously, you won't regret it.)

So, here are five reasons why you should read Ink and Bone. 

1. The book has a very interesting and diverse set of characters. Not only do we get characters with different nationalities, sexualities, religion, etc., but all of the characters have a very distinct personality and all feel very real. Plus: there wasn't a single character I didn't like. 

2. Ink and Bone will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story had so many twists and turns, and just when I thought I knew where it was going, it went in the complete opposite direction. You will not be bored while reading it. 

3. The political system in this novel is very unique and super interesting. In this world, the library of Alexandria never burned down and it's the most powerful institution in the world. The library basically controls everyone and everything, and they have decided that the personal ownership of books is strictly forbidden. The library (or rather, the people who work for the library) are very power-hungry and aren't afraid to get rid of anyone who get's in their way. For example, they killed Gutenberg, the inventor of the press, because if there were easily printed books, the library would be unnecasary/less powerful.
There's also a group of rebels called The Burners, who try to destroy the books, the library and the librarians. And there's more, but I don't want to spend this entire review talking about the Ink and Bone politics, haha. 

4. The settings feel very real, and places like Alexandria feel magical. In the book we travel to different places, and Rachel Caine describes these cities in such a way that it feels like I'm there. 

5. THE FRIENDSHIPS. A book just can't be great without a great friendship in there, and this book had it! In this novel, a group of students gets send to Alexandria to be trained to be a librarian, and the bond between these students is great. You really saw them progressing from 'first-day-of-school'-acquintences to great friends who protect and value each other. This was one of my favorite things about Ink and Bone. 

So, what are you waiting for? GO READ IT.