Jess and his group have fled London right into the hands of the Burners in Philadelphia. The group hopes to use their knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule over knowledge.

Even though The Great Library series is nothing like the Morganville Vampire series I have found that I really enjoy the books. A whole new look on how the world could be that is very imaginative. Well written with developed story lines and characters, Ash and Quill find Jess and his friends in dire straits at every turn with only hope and faith keeping them going.

Thanks to the folks at Netgalley who gave me an ARC of this book, (I just now found time to finally read it ) Wow this was a trip. I have really enjoyed the evolution of all the characters in this series , it has been very satisfying but then again that's what happens when people experience and survive fighting for their life . I'm also glad that this was not the end of the series , we are getting more books ...and the way this one ended, I am certain the next one will be filled with action as our heroes finally put their final plan in action against the Library. If they get it wrong ...it might cost them everything and everyone they ever loved .

<b>First line:</b> Books burned so easily.

<b>Summary:</b> Jess and his fellow librarians have fled the city of Alexandria and are on the run until they meet up with the group known as Burners. In the devastated city of Philadelphia, Jess is basically a prisoner. His fellows are not trusted by the burners and are being forced to create a machine that could help bring the Great Library to its knees.

<b>Highlights:</b> Beautiful cover. Great idea.

<b>Lowlights (or what could have been better):</b> Slow pacing. This is what killed it for me. I got bored and uninterested. I liked the first few but this one seemed to drag on.

<b>FYI:</b> Filler for the series. Not what the start of the series deserved.

Overall, I like where this series is going, and find the characters and story interesting. But this book (book 3) on its own was just underwhelming. I'm not sure why the majority of the book even exists, given that it essentially doesn't matter after certain events. If characters need time to stop and heal and plan, that's all well and good, but it shouldn't take up almost an entire book. The action finally got going again, and then the book ends. I'll still pick up the next book to see what happens, but I hope it's more thought-out than this one.

This is a great addition to the series but I thought it was the last one. I was disappointed to know there were more but I am excited to find out what will happen.

Like many bibliophiles, I have a soft spot in my heart for libraries. Because of this, I am always intrigued by stories set in, around, or about these great storehouses of knowledge. The Great Library series, by Rachel Caine is no exception to that attraction.

Caine has built a world in which the great library of Alexandria did not burn, and where the library’s reach is far and deep. Not only does the Library give of its scholarly discoveries but it also hoards information and power. Here is the beauty of the series – an exploration of what happens when the Library loses sight of its mission to be a storehouse of knowledge and crosses the line into a perversion of that mission into the land of censorship. Once that line is crossed, what lengths will the Library go to in order to preserve its own power?

As dry as that idea may sound, Caine folds it into an addictive series with realistic well-crafted characters, a twisty plot, and a dash of romance. The story follows a group of former Library employees as they struggle against the Library’s machinations. At times the story feels a little predictable, but Caine makes up for it by dropping in surprising twists. The third installment doesn’t suffer from “middle-book syndrome” like other mid-series books sometimes can. The story clips along at a nice pace and has its own distinct goal to achieve and its own satisfying ending. A short-lived ending, of course, because the book must set up for the next installment in the series.

I read Ash and Quill in one evening and am very much looking forward to the next installment.

Did not finish. I might give it another chance to this series once it's finished!
Right now it feels like it's stretching too thin (like a little bit of butter on too much bread...), I prefer faster plots instead of repetitive ones. But I do want to give it another chance once the series (of 5 books) is complete!

I loved this book so much! It was so action packed and kept me on the edge of my chair wanting to know what was going to happen next. If you are looking or a fast paced action series about books and the spread of knowledge then this series is the one for you! You can check out the link for my full review.

First line: Books burned so easily.

Summary: This series is a fun alternate-reality take on the world, if the Great Library of Alexandria had survived and ended up ruling the world. As a book-lover, it's interesting to read about a world where ownership of original printed books is against the law. The story line moves along at a great pace in this book, with lots of twists and turns and surprises along the way. Jess, Thomas and his friends find themselves in the Burner city of Philadelphia, as prisoners. Thomas's skills are quickly drawn upon by Willinger Beck, who runs the city, which has been under siege by the High Garda of the Great Library for about a century. Santi and Wolfe, Khalila and Dario, Glain, Morgan are all there, and each plays a role in the events that take place.

Highlights: I love the pace of the action in this book. I felt like the series had a little bit of a slow start, at least in the adventure/danger/thrilling area. However, by now, things are really ramping up. This is a book that lets me live inside it and see everything that is happening. The characters' personalities are continuing to be developed and while there are some surprises, I felt that they were all absolutely true to the characters' personalities that have been developed so far.

Lowlights (or what could have been better): I have seen in some reviews complaints that this series was bumped from an expected trilogy to a 5-book series. Honestly, after reading the first two books, I can't imagine how the series could have been finished satisfactorily in one more book. This book does end at a total cliffhanger, so now I am just dying for book 4 and don't want to wait a whole year!

FYI: If you have already read the first two books in this series, nothing in this book will be a shock to you. If you haven't read the first two, DON'T start here! You must read the first two. There is a gay relationship in the storyline.

I've been reading this trilogy-turned-series since the first book, Ink and Bone, was availalble on NetGalley. After reading Ash and Quill, the third installment, I have found this series to be really growing in its potential. Paper and Fire was the second book in this series, and if you read my last review, you know that it didn't really hit home with me. However, where Caine seemed to falter a bit in the second one regarding too much action, not enough plot development, and a lack of intrigue, Ash and Quill seems to pick up and leap forward stronger than ever.

I was already skeptical going into Ash and Quill for reasons mentioned above, and I also didn't really remember a lot of specifics from Paper and Fire, so I didn't know if I'd really get into this book and be able to enjoy myself. There were definitely a few things that I needed a refresher on, but for the most part the events of this book helped me remember the more important plot points from previous books (for once in my life, I actually wanted an author to do the annoying recap at the beginning of a book).

I was pretty hooked throughout this entire book. I feel Caine hit her stride with the characters and the where she wants to go with this book, and both of those elements made this book a really enjoyable ride. Caine has a great writing style that balances efficient, concise prose with emotional, more elaborate prose in a perfect way. She adds page breaks or chapter changes at the most proper moments with great finesse, something that I often find myself frustrated with in some books when new chapters are added too often or at odd times.

(Note: If you have not read the first two books and you plan to, this section might have some discussion that would potentially spoil plot points from the first two books.)



The new setting of Philadelphia with the Burners was a big departure from their previous location, and I think she handled the entire situation really well. I think the Burners themselves are fascinating because of how controversial their opinions and viewpoints are. Because of that, I was glad to have a good portion of this book devoted to being in the midst of the Burners and the regular citizens living in Philadelphia with them.

Another thing that I have always appreciated in this series, and that I continued to like in this book, is that Caine keeps the entire world in focus. She mentions a huge array of countries from all over the world, which really keeps things in perspective. I feel like a lot of books with this dystopian-feel seem to center on only one or two main continents and leave others out, so I liked hearing about what was going on in other places.

I'd also like to point out how much I enjoy Caine's diverse cast of characters! I am absolutely not an expert on the matter, and I'd love to see the opinions of others who have more experience, but I felt that she had good representations of LGBTQ characters, religiously diverse characters, and ethnically diverse characters. It's something that is so effortlessly blended into this book that it comes across incredibly natural, and I love it.

Regarding specific characters... look, I'm still on the fence about Jess. I don't know what it is, but he's just really not someone that I can really seem to like. This doesn't bother me too much because the rest of the character are all fantastic, and that brings me to something I noticed. I don't know if this how other people feel, but Ash and Quill seemed to really highlight the other characters' strengths and journeys a lot more than Jess', and I really, really liked it. It was especially neat to me that, although Jess is a pivotal character in this series and has his own strengths, the rest of the characters are just as important. Thomas is the main man with the power to create the most important object in this book, Morgan has strong magical abilities that puts her at great important, and Khalila is incredibly talented and the most social adept of the group, and Dario is just... well, Dario in all of the best ways possible; he's definitely grown on me. Glain was sort of put in the backseat - she was mentioned so rarely that I often forgot about her. Wolf and Santi are, as always, amazing and I love them. Also, I've found myself oddly intrigued with Jess' brother, Brendan, who provides such a foil to Jess' character while also remaining something innately familial about them that it's fascinating.

Overall, Ash and Quill was a great read and I am looking forward to the next installments in this series. Four stars from me!

After two roaring exciting adventures traveling from the U.K. to Alexandria to Rome, the third book in The Great Library #3 takes a two giant pit stops and refuses to move forward.

I’ll admit it may be my fault that Ash and Quill seems to bottom out. See I thought this series was a trilogy. So expected way more death, defiance and action. I expected story lines to be wrapped up. I expected tears, not only from characters in the story, but also from me. I have so much invested in this story and these characters, I am loathing the day The Great Library series is finished.

Yes, you read that right. This is NOT the last book in The Great Library series.

Okay, with that frame of mind, Ash and Quill is a decent third book in the series, but it does suffer a bit from “middle book” syndrome.

There are many more starts and stops as Jess and crew are flung across the ocean at the end of book 3. A few of my favorite characters are incapacitated for a good portion of the story (and no, I’m not tell you who) and perhaps a bit too much of the action is happening off the page. The group has to split up a couple of times to accomplish their goals and of course, the reader can only follow one group of characters.

While Caine wrote this book before the “Muslim Ban” one of the most emotional moments in the book involves the newest member of our revolutionaries, Khalila, and the Burners. Within the first chapter, we learn just how grace, honor and toughness intersect within Khalila. Plus everyone receives a bit of education about her hijab.

I’m looking forward to the day when Jess and his band are no longer on the run and can face their enemies head on. In Ash and Quill, the crew never got to rest and as a result, physically and emotionally, they are stretched to the limit. For the reader, this results in little hope of success for our heroes, both pit stops within the story are not true refuges and they have no true allies. So while I was excited to see the words, “Continues in Volume 4 of The Great Library,” I was disappointed because hope is something I thrive on as a reader and there seems to be little at the end of Ash and Quill.

Excellent book, but it’s part of a series so please read the others first. Highly recommend.

The Great Library series is a wonderful and dynamic series for young adults. It is a little more on the older young adult side than some series cataloged in our library, but I truly enjoy it. Jess and band of misfits are great characters and keep me coming back for more adventures. I guess I love a book about books, libraries, and censorship. I feel like the ending left me hanging in a good way though. I would recommend this series to any one whom is interested in books, adventure, and mystery!

As expected, just like Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire left off in a totally expected way. Needless to say, I was super excited to jump into the third book in the series! Thank goodness I was able to download an ARC from NetGalley, shortly before it was released!

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but my reaction after finishing this book:

OMG! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!

This book was non-stop action, like the first two books, but I expected this book to bring some feelings of closure. However, I think this book ended with an even bigger cliffhanger than either of the first two in the series!

I was seriously upset after finishing this book. I arranged to read the first three books back to back, and at that time, I thought The Great Library was a trilogy. After finishing this book, I discovered that there will be two more books in the series.

Again, this book brought about so many twists and turns in the plot that there would be no way to guess what would happen next. I definitely did not expect it to end the way it did. Of course, I hoped that this book might wrap some things up, not because I don't want to read more books in this series; on the contrary, I just want to be able to read them now and see what happens next!

I never ever would have expected the ending. I don't want to put any spoilers here, but it was almost like the author had put so many crazy plot twists in, with situations that no one would ever guess the characters would get in to, that she decided at the end to throw in something that might be an obvious in any other book. Yet, I NEVER would have guessed it, since the rest of the book has much more complex methods of problem solving.

If these books sound even remotely interesting to you, READ THEM! I guarantee you will enjoy them, and I hope you love them as much as I did!

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from this book:
"No one with a book is ever along, even in the darkest moments."
"When all the world is a clock, bow, you don't make a key. You become a key."

After getting over my initial shock, I did a little research and it looks like there are going to be (at least) two more books in the series. However, they do not have titles or cover art yet. Considering that this book was just released on July 11th, the next two books may not even be written yet. :(

On one hand, I am super excited to be able to keep reading and see what happens nect in the story, especially since I was not sure exactly how I felt about the way this book ended. Again, I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I won't reveal any more.

On the other hand, I'm going to have to wait SOOOO LOOONG to see what happens next, which sucks hard! It makes it even worse that I have no idea how long yet. I know I will be scouring the internet to try to get ARCs, though!

Putting my feelings about waiting to see what happens next aside: I ABSOLUTELY ♥ ♥ ♥ed this book! Finishing it has just left me with such mixed emotions! Finishing it, I feel sad and super anxious about waiting to see what happens next. Reading the book made me feel a whole different range of emotions, though!

However, I am kind of glad that I didn't do this research before reading this book. I think I would have gone into it with a different perspective, if I knew that there will be two more books.

Also, I will say that I definitely understand why there will be (at least) two more books in The Great Library series. Each book has been so jam packed with action. I don't see how the author could have ended the story with this book, without either doubling it in length or taking out some major aspects of the story.

Again, I ♥ed this book, and I know that the next two will be great! I am just sad that they are not in my hands right now! I will be waiting super impatiently for the next two books to be released!

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Ash and Quill: The Great Library
By Rachel Caine
Berkley
June 25, 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

Knowledge is power. No one knows this more than the Archivists within the Great Library of Alexandria, which holds a merciless grip over the books of the world. Rebel factions have broken out to battle these authoritarians, but the costs have been great. A small group of young adults who had been training to be a part of the Great Library are fleeing for their lives, taking refuge in the book burning American town of Philadelphia. Only slightly less hostile towards the scholars than the dictatorship rule of the Library, Burner leader Willinger Beck imprisons them for his own needs.

The white sheep of a powerful family of smugglers, Jess Brightwell has given up his position as a Garda-in-training to side with his friends and rebel against the Library. The town that burns books as a symbol of its defiance is only slightly preferable to the death sentence handed down by the ruling Archivist. Getting out of their manacles is far easier than avoiding the camps of the Library army outside of the walled city, meaning that the exiles must manipulate their captors into crafting an elaborate escape. When a horrific bombing critically injures one of their two Library allies, the remaining six youths must brilliantly utilize their unique skills to outsmart the Burners and avoid the Library Garda outside. Jess worries that Morgan Hault’s gifts as an Obscurist make her too valuable prize for both sides, and using her power to save them all comes at a price. Jess as well must balance between the life he fled and the one he wants to lead, as their salvation places him right back in the first place he tried to escape.

Although falling in the realm of Young Adult, this truly is a novel that can be read by fantasy and book lovers of any age. The diverse cast of characters delivers an ample cast of relatable heroes, and even with their contrasting backgrounds they find a uniting goal. The teens have been forced to grow up quickly in order to survive, never forgetting the life-or-death stakes or the cause they uphold. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t moments of humor or levity though, with the dry-witted Dario Santiago and ruthlessly physical Glain Wathen leading the way. This third in the series further develops the fascinating concept of knowledge as literal currency, with a black market funneling tomes considered too dangerous for the average person. It’s a slippery slope when protection becomes oppression, and the fine line is examined throughout the novels. Everyday heroes laying down their lives and devoted to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge is a notion any academic would laud, much less a librarian. The strategic plans, machinations, and sacrifices Jess puts into play in order to save his friends will have readers anxiously awaiting the next exciting novel that may herald the beginning of the end.

Book three in the Great Library series and I am really happy that this is more than a trilogy as I am totally in love with this series after this book. After saving everyone in the last book the group is altogether again though they seem to have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. They barely escaped alive at the end of book two and this one picks up with them arriving in Philadelphia amongst the Burners. Of course they do not receive a warm welcome instead they are used and held as prisoners though I must admit that all of the plans for escape are quite detailed and thought out making the more successful. This is a group of survivors much to the Archivist dismay. As the Library continues to attempt to silence them all they go ahead with their plans to build a printing press and ultimately go to war with the Archivist himself. They are hoping to take out the problem people without destroying the entire library system which is a good goal but I am not sure they will be able to pull it off in the end. Once they escape from Philly they find a new set of problems that must be dealt with but Jess through me for a loop with how he chose to go about fixing everything which leads to the cliff hanger ending that sets things up nicely for book four. This book is just full of action and adventure from the very beginning. There seems to always be something going on and secrets being kept. An absolute must read for fans of YA fantasy and book lovers themselves. I loved each and every page of this book so it gets 5/5 stars.

In this third installment of The Great Library series, our group has escaped the burning of London only to be captured in Burner-city Philadelphia. In order to stay alive, Thomas and Jess have agreed to build the printing press for the burners while the others translate the archived books stolen from London. Philadelphia is a city under siege and has been for 100 years. The people do not have much in the way of supplies or food, but they are holding out against the Library's armies that surround the walls. Jess worries about his companions constantly, especially Morgan who is using her Obscurist powers to find a way out of the city. Jess will have to call on his smuggler family in order to get them out and it has unexpected and devastating consequences.

I was feeling a bit iffy about this series after the last book, but this one redeems. The action is pretty much nonstop between Philadelphia and the Brightwell estate. There is less focus on the romantic pairings and more focus on their mission to bring down the Library. My real quibble with this story was the part at the end with the Brightwells. In Philadelphia, everyone is working together toward a single goal. Everyone has their role to play and everyone knows what is going on. Suddenly, once they have escaped Philadelphia things change and Jess is playing a game no one else is aware of, but he is playing it with their lives. At this point in the series I found this a bit tiresome. Everyone knows what is at stake and should have been involved in the decision-making process. The fact that Jess keeps most of the group in the dark and gambles with everyone's lives without their knowledge didn't make sense in the overall scheme of things. One would think they would be more helpful if they knew what was expected of them and where things were going. Other than that, I thought this was an excellent book to move the series along. I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

I've been lucky enough to read all three books as ARCS and rave about this series to anyone who will listen. Reading it feels as if I am actually there, with all the characters and brings me to gripping the edge of my seat. Fast paced and thrilling be sure to grab this or read the first two! You don't want to miss out!

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Great Library series just keeps getting better and better!! Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine is the third book in this series and so far my favorite installment. The action and suspense are tripled in this book compared to the rest of the series. Please note that if you have not read the first two books, there will be minor spoilers to the previous books in this review. Read at your own risk! Ash and Quill picks up right where Paper and Fire left off. Jess and his friends along with Scholar Wolfe and Captain Santi have survived the Welsh invasion of London only to escape to Philadelphia, a burner-controlled city. Obviously they have left one evil and thrown themselves at another. The question now becomes what will they do and can they do it.

I just love this series! It’s no secret that I started Ink and Bone not once but three times before I was finally able to finish it. It has a slow start, but the world building more than makes up for it. In Ash and Quill, Jess and his friends get a different narrative than the one the Library has been feeding to them. The Burners aren’t completely bad. They are humans, just like them, trying to survive in the harsh world the Library has created. Their rebellion, the burning of Library books isn’t necessarily about burning the books but taking power away from the Library.

Jess is more confused than ever. He has always believed in the Library’s main goal, saving and rescuing books, making them available to all. BUT after having lived under the Library’s rule, first as a postulate and then as a soldier, Jess has learned the Library harbors dark secrets. Having saved as many of the Black Books (think banned) as they could before escaping in the last book, Jess and his friends inexplicably still believe in the Library, but not its leaders. Jess and his friends are entering dangerous territory with their thoughts, but it doesn’t stop them. Jess is ready to give everything to save his friends and his sacrifice may cost him everything.

Perhaps the most interesting character this time is actually Brendan, Jess’s twin. He makes an appearance halfway through the book and I found myself actually liking him for once. To begin with, Brendan seemed the jealous brother who just wanted to see Jess fail. BUT in this installment, after having nearly lost Jess, their camaraderie comes out and Brendan redeems himself in my eyes. I’m curious to see what will happen with his character in the next book.

The plot revolved around Jess and his friends escaping the Burners, but also learning what the Burners stood for. I think this was an important plot point. In the previous books of the series, the Burners were painted as evil, literally burning everything Jess and and the Library stood for. But in this book, the characters get a glimpse into how they live, the oppression put upon them by the Library, and what they are truly fighting for. It changes everything that has happened so far in the series in my opinion.

Overall, Ash and Quill is a game changer for The Great Library series. It is action-packed. I seriously caught myself holding my breath during several of the more intense scenes, gasping and I may have even shed a tear or two…though I’ll never actually admit it. This is one of my favorite alt history books, bordering on a dystopian. If you have enjoyed the series so far, don’t miss this installment. If you haven’t started it yet, I suggest you do asap!

THESE BOOKS ARE SO GOOD. And the covers are AMAZING (just look at it!). For some reason I thought this series was just going to be a trilogy (perhaps that was the original plan) but come to find out, there are actually going to be at least two more books. This is both frustrating and extremely exciting news. I love the world that Caine has created so I don’t want to let go of it too soon, but I also need to know how Jess and everybody else gets out of this mess. What I can say is that it definitely feels like Caine has this series planned out from start to finish. Some things from the first two books tie in to things in this book and I’m sure that’ll extend into books four and five as well. I love when it feels like an author has done a lot of work in developing not only the world, but the overall plot as well.

The characters were great as always. Even though the plot is a little slow moving, I don’t find that I mind because it just helps the characters to develop and enables me to make connections with all of them (literally, all of them). They’ve definitely developed over the three books in a way that’s genuine to the characters that we were originally introduced to. I love that Caine includes a good level of diversity (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) without hitting the reader over the head with it. It’s present and it effects who the characters are without seeming like a stereotype or an excuse to not develop the character further.

Something that’s so hard with ongoing series’ for me is that I often forget who characters are and what happened in previous books. From that perspective, the fact that the plot is so slow moving actually works in the books’ favor because I have a much easier time remember what has already happened since there isn’t too much for me to remember. That part aside, though, I also find it very easy to remember the different characters and their personalities which is impressive with a cast of eight main characters plus secondaries.

Overall, I heartily recommend this series. There’s part of me that might recommend waiting until all the books are written because each book ends with a cliffhanger, but another part feels like these books are too good so everyone should just read them now. I just want to point out real quick that as of today, the book has 113 ratings with only one two-star and no one-stars (of course, this is the day after its release, but still). THESE BOOKS ARE GOOD and I think they’d appeal to both girls and boys. There’s action and romance and a male narrator with some kick-a female characters as well. JUST EVERYONE READ THEM.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: Mild
Violence: Heavy
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.