really love this series and I was very excited and anxious to find out what was going to happen in the latest installment especially after the way the last one ended. And this was another great example of how interesting and engaging this series is.

One of my favorite things about this book is the world that Caine has been able to create. In this book we delve even deeper into some of the more interesting aspects of the magical system that we only got the smallest taste of in the first three books. For one thing we got to learn a lot more about the Obscurists and how their powers work, which I found very cool. We also get to see more of the steampunk technology like the automata and other inventions that Artifex like Thomas create. There was a very cool and very scary invention that the Library created which made for a very intense scene. All in all, I love the way that Caine has expanded on the world by combining science fiction and fantasy in a way that makes for a compelling world.

However the best part about this world is the political intrigue. This book is incredibly hard to categorize, which is one of the things I like about it, and this is one of the main reasons why. It reads a lot like a dystopia with an oppressive ruler fighting to maintain control from a rebellion by our main characters. And in this book, that rebellion is in full swing. Most of the book we have our heroes plotting against the Library and planning a coup that still protects knowledge and everything that the Library stands for. It honestly feel really timely in a subtle way that I really appreciated. But I also love how sinister the Library is. As book lovers we probably find it hard to root against such a place but Caine has managed to create a library that is so awful you want them to fail, well you want those in charge to fail. It’s a hard line to walk and she does it with ease.

Though it may be easy to root against the Library because it is easy to root for these characters. I have become so attached to these characters in the past four books, I am so scared about what is going to happen to them. In all the previous books, everything was from Jess’s perspective. This was fine with me because I really like Jess as a character. His thirst for knowledge and desire to do anything for the people he cares about is truly admirable and makes him easy to want to succeed. But I like that he’s still vulnerable and makes a lot of mistakes. He gets himself and others into a lot of bad situations here and I appreciate that he gets called out for it. He’s a good leader and strategist but he’s not perfect and those are the characters I like reading about.

But in this book we also get perspectives from plenty of other characters. Almost every one of the main characters gets to narrate at least one chapter and some like Morgan and Khalila get even more tan that. I really enjoyed being in their heads as well. Some of my favorite chapters and sections of this book were those from Morgan in particular. She had some of the most interesting experiences and getting to see her plot and scheme was amazing. I also really liked getting to see portions of the book from Wolfe and Santi’s perspectives because they have become some of my favorite characters. And while it made total sense for the narrative to change narrators and take us to different places, I did have that problem where I was annoyed we had to leave a haracter just when their story was getting good. It’s kind of just the nature of the game though.

Luckily, there was never a lull in this book though. The plot was so thrilling. There was so much action and adventure to go along with the intrigue and scheming. I honestly could not stop reading it. I have been having a really hard time with ebooks lately and I considered grabbing the audiobook for this one but once I started reading it, I didn’t want to audio at all. I was cruising through it and loving reading it with every turning page.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. I loved learning more about the world and seeing the scheming and plotting, I loved the characters and seeing more perspectives, and I loved how thrilling this book was.

Holy smokes was SMOKE AND IRON one heck of a thrill ride. From page one the stakes are off the charts. The book drops us right into danger, and the nail-biting aspects don't let up for a moment. It made for one intense read. This one was told in rotating perspectives which only served to ratchet the intensity up as every since character was facing incredible odds. The war has was well and truly taken off, and there's no turning back now.

It's truly impressive how the author is able to have such nail-bitingly high stakes but also keep the characters front and center as well. For such a large cast, it would be understandable if some faded to the background in light of all the incredible action. And yet, each and every character shines in SMOKE AND IRON. I really love how much the story and characters suck you in leaving the reader desperate to see how things turn out and hope everyone survives the chaos. It's like reading about your best friends and the amazing odds against them, and I really enjoyed every moment.

Fans of the series will be more than pleased with this incredibly high stakes new installment in the Great Library series. I can't wait to see what happens next!

I enjoyed reading these books so much! I mean, I love the whole "the library of Alexandria survived" concept, and that it then basically took over the world. That they had a series of rotten leaders, yeah, that sucks, but they also have a bunch of good people to defend it's better side!

After the ending of Paper and Fire, yeah, that was pretty cliffhanger-y! That they're in America, with the Burners, yeah, that's not easy! They had to be very clever and tricky! Which they had to continue on, though I wish they hadn't gone to the Brightwell compound because it meant that they were all pt in pretty awful situations!

Smoke and Iron, goodness gracious, it was such a fantastic book! It's the first that we got multiple POV's from all these other characters as well as Jess, and they were all having their adventures and it was so great to read!

Honestly, Smoke and Iron felt a lot like a final book in the series, the way everything all came together. But there are still threats that the library is facing, as well as the turmoil because of the regime change! I can't wait to read it!

These books were so amazing and fantastic, and I can't wait to see how it all ends!

After being disappointed with book 3, Smoke and Iron comes roaring back with more twists and turns as Jess and his crew of rebels continue their mission to expose the Library. Can't wait for book 5.

This book is the fourth installment in the Great Library series, which is a sadly underrated historical fantasy series. It's a historical fantasy dystopia that somehow works. Oh, and it manages to incorporate a wonderfully diverse cast of characters.

The plot is a bit slow-moving, but overall the book is still quite engaging. I do think that perhaps we could have wrapped up the series in this book, but It'll be interesting to see what happens after the ending of this one. The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall it was a really enjoyable installment.

Rachel Caine continues her stirring Great Library series with a fourth book, Smoke and Iron (Berkley/Penguin, digital galley). The young group of scholar/soldiers who rebelled against the Archivist Magister are back in Alexandria to try and save the Library from the inside. Jess Brightwell is pretending to be his twin Brandon planning a betrayal, Wolfe is again a prisoner, Thomas is building a weapon to take on the fearsome automatons as the Great Burning approaches. And -- wait for it -- there's a fifth book!

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

❝ The Library had started as a preserver of knowledge, a beacon of light, but through the centuries and millennia, it had become a center of power. Power rotted from within. ❞

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year! Honestly, I wasn't disappointed with this book. Smoke and Iron picks up where we left off in the last book in the series, with our cast of characters all in trouble of some sorts thanks to a dangerous play by Jess Brightwell. In an attempt to wipe the field clean and outwit their enemy, Jess poses as his twin and delivers his friends into the enemy's hands. It's risky but if they all do their parts, it could turn things in their favor. 

Most of the book the characters are on their own and the book is divided into parts with each being from one of four characters' points of view (e.g. Jess, Khalila, Wolfe, and Morgan). I think because Jess' plans required each of them to be doing their own thing the format for the book worked really well. It made a distinct division between one group/person and their location and another. Jess was on his own back in Alexandria, Morgan was at the Iron Tower, Wolfe was locked in the underground prisons again, and Khalila was with the rest of the characters trying to build allies on the outside. Having the book divided up the way it was also kept the book from feeling overwhelming with the amount of action that was going on with the different characters. It all worked out very well and it was fun getting to see the ways each of these characters moved toward their goals.

My favorite point of view/character had to be Khalila. She's been one of my favorites from the very beginning. I liked her at first, but it seems like with every book I just fell more and more in love with her characters. I love that her strength isn't force or magic, but that it's wit. She's one of the smartest in the group and she's very diplomatic. Her words are her weapons. Khalila is loyal and honest with her friends. She's calculating and cunning--skills that have gotten her out of tough situations again and again. She's passionate and has her standards and beliefs that cannot be compromised. I love that about her and it makes me so happy to see her take on more of a leadership role in this book.

Jess's point of view was also fun because in a way he reminds me of Kaz from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo in that he makes big plans and takes big risks to reach his goals. He thinks ahead but he's also quick to think on his feet. I liked the way he could predict what others would do and the steps he took to make his lie believable. Jess really is the mastermind of the group and the main leader figurehead (the other being Khalila). 

❝ The Library seemed permanent. But the steady, quiet editing of its own history showed its vulnerability. ❞

And besides my favorite characters being awesome, I also really enjoyed the story/plot progression in Smoke and Iron. I felt really invested in the characters and their obstacles. Each book in the series feels like it's escalating and raising the stakes. This book was no different. Each of the characters had something to lose (their lives, freedom, loved ones, sanity, etc) which added more tension to the story with the already looming threat of the Great Library/Artifex coming after them.

One thing to look out for, however, is that the author doesn't spend very much time summarizing what happened in the last book(s). This can be a pro and con. I think we all can agree it gets annoying when a book takes the whole first chapter to tell us every single little thing that happened in the last book. It's tedious and often times interrupts the flow of the story, but not having any summary at all can also be a bit of a setback when it's been a while between books. I fell into the latter category. I pieced some of it together and it kind of came back, and then I skimmed the last chapter or two of Ash and Quill to really refresh my mind. Again, it wasn't too terrible, just a minor setback for me.

And finally, I just want to mention that this book is great for people who enjoy diversity in their books. The characters in this series come from all walks of life, different races/ethnicities, sexualities, religions/beliefs--this is a big plus for this book and something I can always appreciate.

Overall, this is a fantastic continuation to the series. As always, Caine has left me holding onto the edge of my seat the whole way through and the ending left me eager to see what's in store next for the characters of The Great Library series <3

Smoke and Iron was released on July 3rd, go check it out! It's a must-read for book lovers!

Jess Brightwell is in a very precarious situation. Masquerading as his twin brother, he is a prisoner of the Library, and he needs to come up with a way to defeat the Archivist Magister and save his friends quickly, or it's not just himself and his friends that will suffer--an institution that was always supposed to be for the people will be taking a dive into a totalitarianism that puts all countries served by the library at risk.

This is the next installment to the Great Library series, which gave us a wonderfully dynamic story with action, political intrigue, and a dash of romance. It's the fourth in the series, with the fifth and last expected next year. This book is a little bit different from the last one, in that we get multiple points of view. This gives a bit more of a view of what goes on in the multiple locations our heroes are split up in, and gives us a look at places like the inner workings of the Tower. The multi-POVs also made me like each of the characters more in their own right, as there's more of a glimpse at what goes in in their heads.

This isn't a series you can just jump into the middle of--I recommend starting with Book one if you haven't been following the series already.

This was not the best entry in a heretofore pretty phenomenal series. There were a lot of dragging parts in the plot, several of the best characters were shoved to the sidelines (Glain, Thomas, Morgan somewhat, and did I mention Thomas?), and a good deal of the writing felt stilted. There was also an entire plotline I will call Chekov's Anit that required a main character to go on a pointless side quest just so he could observe this useless character (who was introduced earlier) do something equally useless. It was quintessential filler material. That being said, the ending was pretty epic, Santi and Wolfe were adorable as always, Khalila finally got her much-deserved moment in the spotlight, and Dario won me over. The Brightwell twins, as always, were obnoxious and pointless, so it's nice to see that consistency. I'm hesitantly hopeful that the last book will be as good as the first three.

This is the fourth book and Ms. Caine wrote it a little differently than the first three. In this one the reader gets to hear the story told in multiple characters' point of view. For those readers who have loved the first three, this is refreshing to hear the story told through characters other than just Jess. This book started with action and finished with action. I do suggest the readers read the first three books first but this series needs to be read by anyone who loves a story with diverse characters working for the greater good.

Loved the character development in this book. We got to see more depth and development in some of our favorites and a broader scope of the setting. Wonderful extension of the series and I am anxiously awaiting the ending!!!

Smoke and Iron is the fourth book continuing the story of The Great Library. It begins with our friends scattered across the world and Jess in the clutches of the Archivist as he pretends to be his brother. With the team split apart we have different points of view allowing us to see all the action, from within the famed Tower to Alexandria and beyond.

It's interesting to be alternately in the heads of Jess, Wolfe, Morgan, and Khalila. especially as they don't quite know what's happened and why to start the book. Everyone begins to understand the (bad?) plan hatched by Jess and Dario quite quickly and things move even faster. This book has terrifying mechanical creatures, interesting side characters, and the widening understanding that the Library has been corrupted.

It's another thrilling and emotional ride and I can't wait to see how it all ends.

One important thing to remember is that this book should not be read by itself. It is a continuation of the story from Books 1-3. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The world Rachel Caine has crafted with The Great Library of Alexandria, the rebel colonies of America, and the censorship and control of knowledge is fascinating, detailed, and perhaps even quite allegorical to many current events (Net Neutrality, "Fake News", and more).

That said, it will be interesting to see how Book 5 is given that Book 4 gives a somewhat satisfying conclusion. But knowing Rachel Caine, what happened in Book 4 will not compare to the conclusions she has in mind for The Great Library.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This was an amazing installment in an equally amazing series! As always, I loved Jess with all my heart; he isn’t afraid to make the touch decisions or do what needs to be done. Nothing is more infuriating that an MC that won’t “pull the trigger” on something that will undoubtably cause more problems in the future, and Jess doesn’t fall into that trap. I also loved that we got more POV this time around! It was awesome to see things from Morgan’s perspective, and feel the depths of her power. And having Khalila be the Luther POV was awesome; she may be my favorite character. This book had plenty of twists and turns and one crazy unexpected event near the end (*feels*), and I loved every minute!

SMOKE AND IRON starts right where we left off with ASH AND QUILL and the rest of the Great Library series.

Because the group is scattered, we get different POV chapters in this book, but the author pulls it off beautifully. While I am not always a fan of this storytelling method, it seems necessary for all the moving pieces here and was wonderfully done.

The plotting is exquisite and gets better with each new entry to the series. The characters have grown and changed as the series progresses, and they feel like real people. Each book is like a novel-length chapter to the overall arc. You want to start at the beginning [and we suggest you do!], but you will never want them to end.

I think this idea started as a five-book series, but I’m hoping for many more.

Rachel Caine's Great Library series is an exciting mix of sci-fi, fantasy, action adventure and possibly, social commentary. The concept of one central library controlling all print material, such as books, journals, and letters, and issuing to readers only what the Great Library deems fit means great power. And generally, where there is great power, there is an equal amount of corruption. That is the case throughout this series. In book one, Ink and Bone, a group of young, idealistic, and diverse young people go to Alexandria, Egypt to train as "scholars" in a library system built around protecting the written word and the public from whatever is deemed too harmful to read. Jess Brightwell becomes the de facto leader of this group and as they begin to see the wrong in a system that was created to be honorable, revolution begins. Smoke and Iron puts Jess in a uniquely dangerous situation, his beloved Morgan is back in the Iron Tower with a collar around her neck, and Scholar Wolfe is back in prison. The pace of the first half of this 4th installment was fairly slow until about midway through the book and then things were happening so fast that sometimes I had to reread sections. And I'm pretty sure that I hollered once towards the end when one big twist occurred. I eagerly await the release of the final book in this excellent series. Highly recommended to be read in order by readers age 14 and up. Content note: Two key players have an openly homosexual relationship that emphasizes their devotion to one another and includes physical expressions of that love, but no graphic sexual encounters.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book effectively shows the plan that Jess put into motion in the previous book. We got to see how all the pieces ended up fitting together.

My only wish is that we had a little more information from Glain.

As a huge fan of the Great Library series, I could not wait to get my hands on Smoke and Iron. This has been one of those series where I want so much to rush through to the end (why are there FIVE books and not THREE?!) but also where I can’t help treasuring every page of it. At the end, I’m sure I’ll be asking why there are ONLY five books. Ha.

Jess had me from the opening pages of book one. He’s crafty and clever, as you’d expect a smuggler to be, but he has a strong sense of morality and loyalty, too. This time, though, my favorite parts were the ones from Khalila’s point-of-view. I loved getting a more in-depth look at her relationship with Dario, the handsome and often flippant Spanish king’s cousin, and I found the way her mind works to be really engaging and fascinating. Totally different than Jess. Wolfe’s point-of-view didn’t feel as critical to the story, and it’s a bit darker, as he’s a darker character, but again, he has a very well-defined voice, and I ultimately find him very likeable, too.

The plot is pretty straightforward: this is the battle to take control of the Library and return it to its core purpose: preserving knowledge, while removing the corrupt leadership. Jess and his team have a plan, but it has a lot of moving parts and a lot of things can go wrong, which means they do! With ever-climbing stakes, and time running out, Jess and his friends race toward the final confrontation, and I could not stop turning page after page to find out what would happen.

This is a great series for fans of Six of Crows though it’s a little less dark and reads a little younger, I think. Fans of The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz will like the re-imagined history of The Great Library series, too. I recommend starting with the first book rather than jumping straight into the middle of the series, though.

Awesome read! Not having read the other books in the series, I was a little lost at first, but the book is riveting enough that it kept me reading till the end.

Smoke and Iron picks up right where the last novel left off, with the band of rebels separated in their hope to bring down the corrupted leader of the Great Library. So now more than one character is given more time to shine throughout the story. Before Jess was the main protagonist, and it was mostly his perspective that drove the story. However, now things have changed since the band has decided to disband. So now the readers have a deeper insight into the characters who had been in the background. Moreover, it is great because some of these characters, like Khalila, who has always had a strong personality, so to see her finally have a voice is refreshing. She takes charge, leads a rebellion not by force but by words and knowledge. She speaks about peace and about sharing knowledge, and that is what makes her such a compelling character. What’s more is the reader gets to see her action the reader gets to understand her mindset and her narrative as she explores another way other than violence to spur change.

Many of the characters finally get to shine which is essential in this novel concerning the group is expanded. However, the store cannot just follow Jess because the story is not just about Jess. The story is about change; it is about how knowledge is power and how it should be shared; it is about the love of books. That is a concept that expands past one person. To see Caine finally explore that aspect of the story by making the presentation grander and giving other characters more time to shine and a larger narrative, she expands the scope of the novel. Again it is about knowledge and power, but it is also about how knowledge should be freely shared and freely given there’s no privilege aspect in the novel which is very relative to today’s society and what is what makes the novel so relatable. These young adults are striving to form a world where knowledge is shared among everyone, not just a privilege to folks with the money with but to the underprivileged as well. That is not only a very relatable concept, but it is also a relevant one given today’s economic climate. That is another aspect of the novel that makes it so compelling, how its subverts reality and puts it into this alternative fiction fantasy concept without lessening the power and the impact of it.

That is also another reason why this book moves a little faster. It is as long as its predecessors, but the break in narratives keeps the pace of the story moving. Whereas in the previous books the reader somewhat struggled to remember what exactly happened in the previous novels because it dragged on. Here there’s no confusion. Caine summarizes the past events quite well without taking away from the current story. It is fluid and summarizes, capturing those essential climaxes of the previous novels but without dragging the story. That is not to say the predecessors were not good they just moved slowly.

Smoke and Iron at the end of the day is a novel that has a lot of political impact and much power to it. There is also so many twists and turns in plot development and Cliffhangers repeatedly throughout the throughout the novel that keep the reader at the edge of their seat. Those Cliffhangers they do not lose their power by the repetition because they happen to various characters at various points in the novel. So it has the pace has the power to keep the reader compelled and it is wrapping up the story very well. Probably the best part again is seeing the other characters in the novel flourish and develop.

Jess Brightwell and his allies are now in direct danger from the Archivist Magister and his supporters in the Great Library. The world is about to catch fire in all out rebellion and printed words are the spark to ignite the blaze. They'll have to use everything they've got if they want any chance of surviving this fight. It's down to the smugglers, thieves, and Scholars to save all that's still good about the library.

Smoke and Bone by Rachel Caine is the fourth installment of The Great Library series which has quickly become one of my all time favorite series. I know I've said this with pretty much every subsequent volume, but the series just manages to get better and better and this one is no exception! The stakes haven't been higher than they are here. I love the vivid world that the author has created, no matter how brutal it is to our favorite characters. I love her take on this alternate very near future, no matter how terrifying it is in terms of censorship, and that we've had the opportunity to travel and see that world from everywhere to London, Oxford, Alexandria, and Philadelphia. Here a great deal of the action is back in the city of the Great Library's headquarters - their return trip is according to plan but it's still heartbreaking for the characters who weren't let in on that plan.

As fantastic as Caine's world-building has been throughout this series, our diverse core cast of characters are some of the best I've had the opportunity to spend time with. I'm so invested in Jess, Khalila, Morgan, Glain, Dario, Thomas, Wolfe, Santi, and even Brendan. I love them all, but I have to admit that Wolfe and Santi are my two favorites. If anything happens to either of them, I won't know what to do. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting older, but they've been my favorite characters since I started this series. Anyway, this time around several of our main cast have POV chapters. I was kind of worried about that element, but to be honest it's a great addition since Jess and the others are split up for a chunk of the story. Like I said before, the stakes are sky high and everyone is risking their lives, so you can imagine just how stressful it is to see my favorites in such danger. No one is safe, no one.

Overall, Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4) by Rachel Caine is another brilliant installment of one of the most bookish, inventive, and addictive YA fantasy series currently out there. This story is marvelous and I didn't want to put it down, but honestly I was so stressed out while reading it because I couldn't be sure that all of my favorites would survive the oncoming war. I was truly worried bout these characters which is a fantastic testament to Caine's top-notch storytelling abilities and talent at creating diverse and realistic characters that feel as if they could walk right off the page. I know my review hasn't done the novel justice, but I can't recommend it enough. Seriously, I don't know how I'll cope until the final book is released next year - or after it's all over either.