The Invisible Library
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3.9 • 257 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
One spy. One dangerous book. One deadly mission. Discover the first book in this gripping fantasy mystery series – The Invisible Library is the astounding debut from bestselling author Genevieve Cogman.
Perfect for fans of Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair or Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London.
'I absolutely loved this' – N.K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, whose staff are sent to different realities to harvest dangerous and mystical fiction.
Irene has been posted to an alternative steampunk London along with her enigmatic new assistant, Kai. Their mission: to retrieve a dangerous edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales. But it has already been stolen.
In London's underground, the laws of nature have been bent – supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic stalk the land. The city is home to vampires, werewolves – factions that are all prepared to fight to the death for this book.
Irene must face a web of deadly danger, deception and secret societies. Her new assistant is hiding secrets of his own. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake . . .
Continue the journey with the adventurous second title in the Invisible Library series, The Masked City.
Praise for the series:
'I absolutely loved this' – N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season
'Irene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one's fool' – The Guardian
'Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series!' – Charles Stross, author of the Merchant Princes series
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We lost ourselves for hours in the intricate and original world-building of Genevieve Cogman’s exciting fantasy debut. Heroine Irene is a spy for The Invisible Library, a depository for unique books acquired from multiple worlds and realities. Her hunt for one particular work leads her into extreme danger in a haunted, steampunk London. A rich, satisfying plot and snappy dialogue left us eager to dive into the rest of Cogman's series.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The first entry in Cogman's debut fantasy series follows the adventures of feisty spy Irene. She's employed by the mysterious organization known as the Library, which exists across space and time, to find unique works of fiction across alternate realities and store them for posterity. Her latest mission is to find a tome in a version of London populated with vampires, werewolves, and Fair Folk while training one of the Library's newest recruits, the enigmatic Kai. She gets more than she bargains for when the book is stolen and she's thrust into a dangerous underworld where magic and intrigue meet. Cogman writes with a vivacity and wittiness that breathes new life into the genre. Marrying political and academic intrigue with high-stakes battle scenes, the plot moves at a fair clip, with a captivating cast of characters. The relationship between Irene and Kai omits clich d romantic tension, and the banter they share is quite refreshing. Reminiscent of the works of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman, Cogman's novel is a true treat to read.
Customer Reviews
Nicely done
A mish mash of themes, ideas and genres that the author is largely at pains to acknowledge - fantasy, cyberpunk, steam punk, crime fiction. An alternative Edwardian London mixed seamlessly with alternative realities, the Fae and more than a passing nod to Sherlock Holmes, all coalescing under the, sometimes over explained, scrutiny of a kick ankle heroine who I assume bears a more than passing physical and mental resemblance to the author.
It's brilliant fun and save for some slightly over worked "internal dialogue" it is pacy and action packed with some great characters finely drawn and definitely requiring the odd sequel or five.
I want to be a librarian!
I was looking for a new author having just finished A discovery of witches series (which I loved). I started a few books that didn’t grab me… then I found The Invisible Library… imaginative setting, vivid descriptions and great characters… and maybe a budding romance… I’ve immediately downloaded the next one…The masked city. I so want to be a librarian!
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Moves on too much