Ink and Bone

July 8, 2015 ARC, Book Review 0

I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Ink and BoneInk and Bone by Rachel Caine
Series: The Great Library, book one
Published by Penguin on July 7th 2015
Pages: 352
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads

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 he 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.…

My Thoughts:

This book is by Rachel Caine and it focuses on libraries. I am so in!

I loved the idea that the Great Library of Alexandra not only survived, but thrived! In the world of Ink and Bone, the library has nearly unlimited power. And as we know, power corrupts! The library seeks to control all knowledge. They are not afraid to eliminate any threats to this control or power. This isn’t the library system we know!

Jess is the son of a black market book dealer. He’s grown up around books… actual books! Not just the electronic codex with library approved titles. When he’s 16 his father sends him to enter the library system as a spy. Most of the book centers around this time. As a black market book dealer Jess was already familiar with the darker side of the library. His time training to serve the library reveals the benefits… as well as even darker truths!

I really enjoyed the fact that this book is set in an alternate future that feels much like our past but contains some amazing technological advances. It was really interesting to see the ways Caine reimagines the evolution of society, technology, and the world in general. I especially loved learning more about how the Great Library and it’s sister branches worked!

Ink and Bone is a thrilling start to an intriguing new series. I can’t wait to see what more Rachel Caine has in store for us.

Leave a Reply