4,5 I didn't want it to end. The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman is the fifth book in the Invisible Library fantasy series. From the characters to the murder-mystery I had a fantastic time diving back into these worlds as Irene Winters, Vale and Kai are called upon to investigate a murder during peace talks between the Fae and the Dragons. Grab a cuppa and see why this series is a #mustread for fans of fantasy. Full review will appear first on Caffeinated Reviewer on December 11th. A review will be cross-posted to Goodreads & Amazon. Link to review will be shared on all social media.

The fifth book in the Immortal Library series, Mortal Word goes deep into the Fae and Dragon issues that Irene has had to deal with mostly in the peripheral. Now, however, the Dragons and Fae high representatives are in the middle attempting a secret peace treaty when a middle-level Dragon representative is murdered. Irene and her (human) detective friend Vale are instructed to solve the murder, or rather find someone convenient to blame it on that won't cause a political war.

With the Dragon and Fae rules and political muddle, this volume is a little less fun to read than any of the previous. The phrase "can't see the forest through the trees" comes to mind. All in all, those readers that have enjoyed the previous volumes will still want to continue with the series.

This was another great installment in the Invisible Library series. I have really enjoyed all of the previous books in this series so I was really excited to read this new installment. This is the fifth book in the series and I do think that this is a series that is best read in order. I had a great time jumping back into this complex set of worlds and thought that the story was very well done.

In Paris of a neutral world, peace talks are being held between the dragons and Fae with the Library's help. When an important dragon is found murdered, Vale along with Irene are asked to travel to that world to investigate the murder. Kai goes ahead to help and be with his uncle, a Dragon King. They are quickly buried in a complex and far-reaching mystery that will have a great impact on the peace talks.

I think that I grow to love this group of characters a little bit more with each book. Irene is amazing. She is dedicated to doing what is right and getting the job done often at great risk to herself. I was happy to see that Vale plays such an important role in this book. He is such a skilled detective that is able to see what most others would miss. He insists on doing the job in the best manner possible and will not compromise himself for anyone else in any circumstance. Kai is incredibly strong but often underestimated. He is very supportive of Irene and has no problem deferring to her judgment.

I thought that this mystery was very complex and well executed. Since the murder occurs at a political event, there are a lot of Fae, dragon, and Library politics wrapped up into the mystery. There were so many factors at play and individuals that seemed less than trustworthy. I love how original each book in this series is since they are all set in worlds with their own set of rules. The special abilities of the Fae, dragons, and Librarians always seem to keep things interesting. I really enjoy the way that Irene is able to apply the use of the Library's Language to each situation and think on her feet. There are a whole lot of exciting scenes to keep this one interesting.

I would recommend this series to others. It is such a well-done series with great characters and remarkable world-building. I cannot wait to read more of Irene, Kai, and Vale's adventures in future installments.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

I struggled with this rating. Because though the end always delivers and the world and its characters are so interesting… this dragged. It took longer than I thought to push through this... which solidified my rating. The characters were, of course, great, Irene especially. She never fails to disappoint, though her relationship with Kai in this one felt a bit shoved in with it being such a small addition to the plot; if I'm honest, I didn't pay much attention to it. However, that was made up for by the side characters I ended up really liking despite previously disliking them? I'm excited to see more of them in future books. I did have an issue with how many times Irene's parents were mentioned despite not having any real relevancy to the story other than being apart of the conflict/urgency for Irene. We're so far into the book, I've lost want to learn about them. The way the initial reveal is handled felt formulaic to the previous books, yet it didn't bother me- I didn’t guess who the murderer was, though looking back, it was hinted throughout the story quite nicely. This is such an underrated series, honestly. despite the declining pacing as said series goes on, everything else holds my attention.

Very witty and enjoyable, just like the rest of her books. The plot is a little slower than her previous titles, and it drags on a bit in the middle, but it was still a good read.

In The Mortal World Irene must once again step out of her role as a simple book thief and prevent war between the Fae and the dragons. The Library is attempting to get both sides to sign a peace treaty and one of the dragon envoys gets murdered. Irene and Vale are brought in to solve the murder- as long as they come up with the "right" answer. The simplest villain (and the one everyone wants to be guilty) is the notorious Blood Countess- a powerful Fae who has taken on the story of Elizabeth Bathory. But Irene wants to get more than the convenient answer, she wants the truth. Even if the truth leads her to question the loyalty of some of her fellow Librarians.

Irene has become much more than "just" a book stealing librarian since we've met her. She's tangled with both dragons and Fae and come out alive, she's fought the worst politics has thrown at her and come out sane. Readers to the series know what it seems none of Irene's superiors at the Library know: she might do anything to protect the Library and her friends, but she is also increasingly willing to question authority when she sees something wrong. In Mortal World she's backed up by Vale, one world's equivalent of Sherlock Holmes, who cuts through politics and authority to reach the truth and sorts out what to tell people later. It's not an approach the dragon king Ao Ji or the Fae treaty leader the Cardinal really like, which leads to plenty of subtle (and not so subtle) threats against Irene's family, friends, and personal and mental well being. But Irene is quick thinking, willing to walk into a trap to get information, and always thinking outside the box. I love these characteristics about her (along with her professionally awesome levels of sarcasm and snark in the face of extreme situations of all kinds).

Mortal World gives us more of Vale than we've seen in many of the other books, which I enjoyed. He's not a Sherlock-clone, but is becoming more his own person and I hope we get to see him develop more in future books. He and Irene work well together and I think brought out a level of humanity in each other that did a good job balancing against the powerful beings they were investigating, as well as reminding each other that ultimately it is the mortal worlds who would suffer in the peace treaty fails.

I was disappointed that Cogman followed up on one idea she left dangling in The Lost Plot. That of Irene and Kai becoming lovers. The idea didn't work for me then, and didn't work for me here. The two worked well as mentor-student, and now that Kai isn't part of the Library the idea of them becoming more equal as partners (along with Vale) worked for me. But (in my personal opinion) there is absolutely no chemistry between the two and no good reason to force something that isn't there. Irene doesn't need a romantic interest, she needs someone she knows she can trust when she finds herself questioning everyone else around her.

Overall a well-written and fast-paced book, possibly second to The Invisible Library as my favorite in the series. The enemies are sneaky, the mystery is twisty, and while the cats can't top Library's alligators, they get points for creepiness. By the end Cogman has opened interesting possibilities for future books and characters. Hopefully in the future we will continue to see more of Vale, drop the Irene/Kai 'ship, and continue to enjoy the overall awesomeness that is the Invisible Library. While you don't need to have read the rest of this series to enjoy World, there are enough recurring characters that I think you'd enjoy it more if you read at least The Lost Plot beforehand.

Another wonderful addition to this series. It wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I’m looking forward to the next installment. I highly recommend it to fantasy readers who enjoy a quirky tale.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for offering me an advanced copy in exchange for nothing more than an honest review.

If you haven't picked up The Invisible Library, stop reading RIGHT NOW and go pick it up. It's a clever world of time-travel-adjacent adventures with dragons and fae and even a magic language of sorts. It's like Doctor Who meets The Chronicles of St. Mary's, and it's a BLAST to read. So go pick it up. This one is book five, so reading any more now will just spoil all your fun.

Okay, to business. After the crazy rogue Librarian has caused so much trouble, the two major powers in all the universes are set to make a peace treaty, and of course, this means things will NOT go smoothly. Even more, Vale has been called to the world where negotiations are being held to run an investigation of the murder of a high profile member of one side of the treaty. Of course, Irene is to go as the Librarian representative on the team.

For the first time, we get LOTS of dragons, LOTS of Fae, and LOTS of Librarians, all in one story. Multiple major players on every side make this a mystery of Agatha Christie style - lots of potential suspects, and lots of tangled webs woven that need to be un-spaghettied. Yes, I realize that's not a real word. Too bad.

My biggest gripe is that Vale and Silver are yet again relegated to minor characters. I really want them to have the chance to play a key role, but they almost felt like filler in this one yet again, especially since Irene takes over the investigation almost immediately upon arrival. The story seems to revolve around Irene and Kai -- which is great, as they're both fantastic characters, but I think Vale and Silver both have so much potential and are wasted as plot points.

Overall though, this one is a fun romp through the Paris of yesteryear, with heavy doses of Fae chaos and dragon order and Librarian wit, so 4 out of 5 stars.

Excellent! This series keeps getting better and better with each book and yet, there's so much more in the world for the author to explore. Highly recommended.

The Mortal Word, by author Genevieve Cogman, is the Fifth installment in the authors The Invisible Library series. The series follows Junior Librarian Irene Winters who works for the mysterious Invisible Library. Her objective, most of the time, is to acquire one of the books that is necessary to keep the balance between order and chaos. For the past several books, Irene has been stationed in an alternative Victorian England world with steam power, Zeppelins, libertines, and great detectives such as Peregrine Vale, nemesis to criminals in England.

This installment is a bit unusual from the previous installments. When Librarian Bradamant appears with news about a secret peace conference taking place moderated by the Library between Fae and Dragons. It's a bit of a surprise. But, when she tells Irene that one of the Dragons involved was murdered, Irene, Kai, and Peregrine find themselves in an alternative 1890's Paris. Irene is tasked to guide Peregrine Vale to Paris to help solve a murder that may set the peace conference back to the brink of war.

A war that will affect untold number of realities as well as the humans stuck between the warring Fae and Dragons. What becomes apparent, as with everything between the Fae and the Dragons, is that some have no desire for peace and will create chaos to throw the peace talks into disarray. If they can prove the Library is responsible, then they will lose untold number of Librarians who are being used as hostages, including Irene's parents who we, as readers know, still have not met.

Irene ends up being in charge of the investigation. Her team includes Peregrine, a Dragon named Mu Dan, and a familiar face from her time in alternative England, Lord Silver who is the Fae representative. As readers of the last installment know, Kai is no longer a member of the Library, nor is he a student of Irene's. No, I shall not spoil what happened. Kai, however, isn't completely taken out of this story. He finds himself in the right places for Irene to really get to the bottom of the mystery behind who is trying to disrupt the peace conference.

I appreciate that the author thought about including Vale into this story. He is a remarkable character, but in this new world that he has never seen before, he has to step quietly, and work quickly before war breaks out. Irene has her hands filled in this story. She has to balance thoughts about the fact that her parents are hostages, with the fact that someone is attempting to incite war, while also staying ahead of some of the more dangerous characters that we've seen in this series.
Political machinations, power-hungry plotting, and natural distrust between the factions keep getting in the way of the investigation keeps Irene and her team hopping until the very end.

<a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2018/11/20/mortal-word-by-genevieve-cogman/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've been reading and enjoying  <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/145608-the-invisible-library" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>The Invisible Library series</strong></em></a> since the beginning.  The world-building is almost a fresh start in each book since Irene travels.  She has been assigned a home world where she lives and has some regular friends and frenemies. There are a few Library characters who are around throughout the series. There's a long-time villian. But the primary contacts for Irene are the detective, Vale and the dragon, Kai.  I thought at one point she was going to have a romance with Vale but it now looks like she will be with Kai.

I'm not very invested in any romance. I'm more involved in learning about the overall universe and what the heck is going on with the Library. <strong>The Mortal Word</strong> is the most exciting to date.  The Library is hosting peace talks between the dragons and the fae. One of the dragons is murdered.  A team is brought in to investigate and Irene is the defacto leader. It includes Irene (library), Vale (human), Silver (fae) and Mu Dan (dragon).

It's ironic since we see the world through Irene's eyes how she knows so little overall about the Library and so much about various worlds, the fae and the dragons.  Irene has become an accomplished adventurer using her knowledge and skills to find the truth in every situation. The mystery here was complex with many attempts to frame others for the murder. The politics are extremely difficult and put their lives in danger.

I loved every minute of learning even more about the dragons and fae with Irene; this was brilliant!   I can't wait to see how things go next time and I'm more than curious to finally learn more about the Library itself.

Called in to solve the murder of a high level dragon at the secret Dragon- Fae Peace conference, Irene, and her friend Inspector Vale are in a race against time. Not only does Irene have a personal stake, as her parents are being held hostage by one of the groups, but she and Vale must solve this murder before one or both sides decide that peace isn’t worth the effort to overcome their prejudices against each other.

I enjoy this series of historical fantastical mysteries. Irene is an intrepid heroine who may internally second guess her decisions but outwardly looks like she knows exactly what she’s doing when racing to solve a case. For me, the interesting character in this novel was Vale. Taken out of his own time and thrown into an alternate universe, we initially see a more hesitant Vale. He is insecure in his knowledge of how this place functions and is afraid that he’ll make the wrong judgement call. It’s only when he goes with his gut instincts that he overcomes those more human emotions. I liked the human side of Vale that we don’t usually get to see.

Irene’s investigations always prove spyworthy and in The Mortal Word, she overcomes all obstacles in somewhat superhero fashion. I almost expected her to have gained a super power or two, but she remains just as “normal” at the end of the book as she did at the beginning. I can’t decide if I’m a little disappointed by that fact. Kai didn’t play a huge roll in this story, although their relationship does advance forward and I’m eager to read the next installment in this series to see how their romance plays out.

I enjoyed the Mortal Word a lot, but except for a couple of key plot points it plays out as a kind of filler novel. The Lost Plot was soooo good, that in my eyes it would be hard to have as good a follow up. However, The Mortal Word did set the stage for some interesting scenarios in future novels. So I do have hope that we haven’t seen the best out of this series yet. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Initial Thoughts: "I love Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series, but I am not quite as in love with this fifth book in the series. I got the sense the story was rushed, with the connections among Irene and her companions forced in a way that is not normal for these stories. I still enjoyed it, but I did not tear through it as much as I thought I would or as much as I have done in the past with the other books in the series."

Now: I remain disappointed by The Mortal Word. Compared to the first four books in the series, it is mediocre and mundane. The story feels repetitive with Irene in yet another life-or-death situation involving the Fey and Dragons and in which the fate of the Library is at stake. Irene's antics are stale, and she is missing the charm that defined her character in the first four books. At the same time, there is a significant development in Irene and Kai's relationship, and it gets only cursory attention. Previous books had me racing through the pages, anxious to find out what happens and unable to figure out the mystery. This time, I had to force myself to read because the action and the answer to the mystery were so apparent that it took the fun out of reading. I am hoping that The Mortal Word is the exception within the series and that the remaining three books bring back the quirkiness that caused me to fall in love with the Invisible Library series. After all, Irene is so darling, and the world of the Library is creative and enticing to any bibliophile - just not in this particular book in the series.

The Mortal Word could be a satisfying end to the series, or it could spin on indefinitely, in true detective fiction fashion. We spend almost all of this book on one world, a carefully-selected neutral land where representatives from the Library are brokering peace talks between the Dragons and the Fae. A murder summons Irene and Vale to help lead an investigation team, and Kai finds an excuse to come along. Irene is very much at the center of this book, needing to balance all her knowledge and experience of interacting with Fae and Dragons with the high-stakes politics of the situation. And of course there's a question of what the future of the Library could look like, and if there is sabotage coming from within. It was a dizzying read, almost impossible to keep track of all the factions and machinations, but thoroughly enjoyable. Irene is made stronger by her friends, but it's her quick-thinking that can find someway forward in the face of all roadblocks. Hoping the next book gives her a bit more time to rest, eat, and read, however.

Genevieve Cogman brings The Library to life again with quirky characters and a compelling who-dun-it plot. The balance between order and chaos is in danger after the murder of the Dragon delegation. It is up to Librarian Irene to solve the murder along with other familiar characters such as Kai and Lord Silver. A well written and fun romp through Paris, I would recommend this latest installment in the series to any lover of fantasy and books about books.

Always an enjoyable series. If you haven't read The Invisible Library I encourage you to. This wasn't my favorite of the series, probably because of the lack of interaction between Irene and Kai.

This series will always be one of my favorites. Unfortunately, this one delved a little too deep into the politics of The Library, Dragons, and the Fae. I enjoyed the setting, and loved when Irene was out of her comfort zone, but the endless fighting between the two sides was a bit tiresome. I hope the next mystery goes back to what works....

It’s impossible to say exactly what genre this book is. While the series is bookmarked as being historical fiction, The Mortal Word is part murder mystery, political thriller, and paranormal all at once. The balance between the Dragons (who stand for order) and the Fae (for chaos) is coming to a head, and if Irene doesn’t do something fast, the entire world is in danger.

The plot is so complex and intriguing that it never feels predictable. Irene must lead a team of people from each faction to solve the murder of a Dragon delegate, to discover who was trying to sabotage the peace treaty. Remove the word dragon, and you’d think you have a political novel on your hands. Finding the answer isn’t only difficult from the way the murderer covered their tracks, but also because the answer could make or break peace among worlds.

I loved this new installment. I loved the new depth to Irene’s relationship with Kai (total OTP) but also getting to see Vale again, and meet some important players on each side of the conflict. What I love about these books is not only how much I relate to Irene – I feel like she was written just for me – but how much the characters grow from book to book, making them all so realistic and deep.

The Mortal Word also shows how strong Cogman is as an author: a single tipping point with so many consequences it would snowball and put the universe at risk, that’s not an easy thing to write. It involves fully understanding the complexities of the factions she created, and fully drawing us into it at the same time. The way Irene not only has to solve the mystery but simultaneously worry about how every step she takes will influence the balance of power and the result of the treaty – that as masterful.

I just heard there will be possibly 8 books in the series, and I just can’t wait. I need book six right now! The author continues to grow and develop a powerful universe, and I know each book will be even better than the last.

Another exciting installment in "The Invisible Library" series. Librarians are mediating peace talks between Dragons and Fae. When a delegate is murdered, junior librarian Irene Winters as well as master detective Peregine Vale are summoned to solve the case in an alternate Paris during the Belle Epoque. Several characters from earlier books appear, including dragon/former library apprentice Kai Strongrock (who just happened to be in the area, really, nothing to see here), and new characters are introduced. I especially liked Mu Dan.

This book continues exploring the themes of order and chaos, and how they affect the humans in the middle. As always, Irene is incredibly practical, though not necessarily tactful.

There are very few sireis where I like every single book. I like this series alot, bit sadly this book was a dissapointment.

While I liked seeing the politics of the various factions in this book it also kinda dragged on a bit.

The romance aspect kinda fizzled out also Irine and Kai dynamic is almost childish where they are trying to remain in contact with eachother deapite Kais status with the library and his family but Irine still acts as a supervisor over Kai and Kai naturraly does not like that. Also the entire build up from foir books is just not there with them anymore and its a huge let down. It was almost better as a will they wont they aspect.

I did like the plot twist though and how it apeaks to somone not accepting change for the good. There where a lot of characters to keep track of so Id recomend reading the whole series in succession before reading this book.

Im not sure how I feel about this series getting up to eight books as I find it can exhaust a series when it is to long. So I cant say that for certain of I will continue with it or not. I would still recomend this series and the second book is probably my favorite one and the fourth book os pretty good also, but I would not recomend reading it past the fourth book as I did not like this one sadly.