Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Ahhhhh, this was so good. I loved the suspenseful, steampunk, fantasy story about a library that basically controls the world. Book lovers will flock to this story! I also love a YA with a male main character because that's so rare, especially in books that contain any kind of romance (like this one). The supporting characters are all so great, and there's a little something for everyone in this book. The world building is superb, and the writing is lovely. I can't wait to read more of this series!

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine is the first book in a five book series called The Great Library. It was first released in 2015, so I am a little late to the party. That being said, I will probably not be staying very long at the party.

The book follows Jess Brightwell, the son of a book smuggler who is accepted to become a postulant for the Library. He, along with other candidates, are put through training and testing to see who will be invited to join the Library. The world is interesting, but I read this after being tired of dystopian stories. I read enough of them years ago, and to be honest, I have read much better (Hunger Games, anyone?).

Of course there are secrets, political intrigue and instalove romance. While it wasn’t a bad book, it isn’t for me. For one, I am not the target audience – YA. Two – Like I said, I read this well after the dystopian craze was over and three – I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Jess was just okay, and his love interest had no personality. I wish we had more time developing the personalities of his fellow postulants, because some of them were more interesting. Also, at the end of the book, he is upset about something that happens to one of the other candidates, and he keeps thinking of this person as his “best friend”. Um…I did not see that friendship forming. I saw the other person talking to Jess a few times, but nothing close to being someone’s “best friend”.

Oh well. I will not be reading anymore in the series – I saw from reviews on Goodreads that the quality of the books go down from here. No thanks. I have a lot of other books that I would much rather read on my evergrowing TBR.

2.5/3 stars

I really enjoyed this entire series. It was a great concept and kept my attention the entire time. The setting and concept of this series is so fascinating. And come on, it's a series about a library! What bookish person wouldn't want that?

I tired really hard to get into this one. I really wanted to love it but I just couldn't get into the story. I found myself just being so bored and not enjoying the characters. I think it must me a it's not you, it's me situation.

I was incredibly bored with this one. It sounded so good too! I live for books about books. Unfortunately, this one just dragged on, and was not fun for me to read.

This was so incredible, I have no complaints and loved everything about it. The journey that Caine takes us on is so fun and exciting. The characters are lovable and feel so real to me. I can't wait for more!

I’ve put off reading this for a while. It has the slowest start, it took a while to ramp up and explain the premise. The year is 2025 and the world is different. With our current policromó climate, it’s a bit eerie to see how similar some of the events and how cruel and archaic people can be. Knowledge is important and it’s being held by the good or evil “library”. It’s a mix of Harry Potter meets six of crows. I just the world would have been explained better because I had no idea why things are the way they are and the rules of this new society. This is very much character driven and I had my favorites. This is one series you shouldn’t have a favorite because the author isn’t afraid to yank them right out of the story. I’m interested in seeing how the characters pan out but I hope the world building is better explained in the books to come.

MINI YA REVIEWS
MAY 28, 2019 LEAVE A COMMENT
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
Published by HarperCollins on March 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Time Travel, Humorous, General, Social Themes, Death & Dying
Pages: 464
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9780062748393
Goodreads
five-stars
“One of the best love stories I’ve ever read.” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

“Read this one, reread it, and then hug it to your chest.” —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green.

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.

I love when I read a book and my immediate next thought is – this would be a great Netflix movie (because Netflix is on their A Game with YA movies). Opposite Of Always by Justin A. Reynolds is the kind of book that begs to be made into a movie. It is the kind of book that you read and just immediately want to share with everyone you come into contact with. Trust me when I say that I think this will be in my top twenty for 2019. Like, is it too early or to weird to say hello I need the fan club membership card for Opposite Of Always.

Opposite Of Always is a time travel book for people who do not generally like time travel books (ie ME). Jack is visiting his future college and attending a party where he meets Kate. Kate is THE person for Jack, essentially his soul mate. And so, in one night the two bond over cereal and stairs. There’s banter which I am always a sucker for. Jack falls hard for Kate and the two form a relationship, only, Kate dies. The story doesn’t end there though, instead Jack is jolted back to the night he first met Kate over and over. He keeps reliving their brief time together, making different choices each time which have this ripple effect.

The plot is right on point. I felt like I actually learned something about sickle cell which I had not a lot of knowledge about except that T-Boz from TLC has it. As for Jack and Kate, their chemistry feels authentic. I loved every moment that Jack’s parents made an appearance. ALSO OMG JACK’S FRIENDS. They’re treasures and need to also be protected at all costs.

Friends, I could shout about this book all day. It’s a brilliant read and I can’t help but think FINALLY teens of color are getting the multitude of stories that they deserve with all kinds of different characters – and I love seeing that Opposite Of Always is among those stories. Granted, publishing still isn’t there yet, but I am just glad at least that it is STARTING. This is the first time travel book I’ve read with a Black teen boy as the main character and a love interest with sickle cell anemia. Add this one to your lists asap is the point I am getting at though.

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

Mini YA ReviewsThe Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody
Also by this author: The Karma Club, , A Week of Mondays, In Some Other Life
Published by Simon and Schuster on October 2, 2018
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Travel & Transportation, Car & Road Trips, Family, Parents, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Hardcover, eARC
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 9781481499217
Goodreads
four-stars
In this romantic road trip story perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson, a teen girl discovers the value of ordinary objects while learning to forgive her absent father.

A lot can happen on the road from lost to found…

Ali Collins doesn’t have room in her life for clutter or complications. So when her estranged father passes away and leaves her his only prized possession—a 1968 Firebird convertible—Ali knows she won’t keep it. Not when it reminds her too much of all her father’s unfulfilled promises. And especially not when a buyer three hundred miles up the Pacific coast is offering enough money for the car to save her childhood home from foreclosure. There’s only one problem, though. Ali has no idea how to drive a stick shift.

But her ex-boyfriend, Nico, does.

The road trip gets off to a horrible start, filled with unexpected detours, roadblocks, and all the uncomfortable tension that comes with being trapped in a car with your ex. But when Nico starts collecting items from the quirky strangers they meet along the way, Ali starts to sense that these objects aren’t random. Somehow they seem to be leading her to an unknown truth about her father. A truth that will finally prove to Ali that some things—even broken things—are worth saving.

Jessica Brody is one of those authors where I KNOW I am going to be immediately engaged and basically gobble up the book in a matter of days. The Geography Of Lost Things confirms this theory, my dear friends. I am forever going to be one of her fans, I think. I picked this book up in hopes of a palate cleanse as well as a chance to knock another book off of my Netgalley queue. What a treat my time with this book was — even the parts that got emotional and had me flipping ahead just to make sure things turned out okay.

The Geography Of Lost Things is a road trip book starring Ali, who has inherited her father Jackson’s 1968 Firebird Convertible. This is about the only good thing she has inherited from Jackson and she believes it will fix her problems. You see, the Firebird is worth big money and so Ali can save her house which is getting foreclosed on with the proceeds from the sale of the Firebird. There’s a problem though — the sale will take place about 5 hours away and Ali can’t drive stick, thus cannot drive the Firebird. Her ex, Nico, however, can drive stick. And so, the two embark on a trip to sell the Firebird. Along the way, Nico has the idea to trade up items in order to make the money Ali needs and to also allow for her to keep the Firebird.

Ultimately, this is a story of a father and daughter relationship that is far from perfect. It’s a story of acceptance and other people who are just doing their best, even when we cannot see that. It’s a story of forgiveness. I think that this book hit me hard, even though I have an awesome dad with none of the issues Jackson has. Brody writes in such a way that it was easy for me to connect with Ali. She was easy to care about.

Also, this book really did make me want to read the rest of Brody’s books that I have not gotten to yet. I guess that’s a good thing — to know that I have some excellent reads just waiting for me to pick them. I would 100% recommend this for people who are suckers for road trip tropes and character growth and vulnerability. It is definitely a superb book to ease into summer with.

Mini YA ReviewsBerserker by Emmy Laybourne
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 10, 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Historical, United States, 19th Century, Romance
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781250135230
Goodreads
The highly anticipated historical fantasy from Emmy Laybourne, author of the internationally-bestselling Monument 14 trilogy.Ancient powers. Strong love. Desperate times.

1883. Hanne would give anything to be free of the ancestral Viking curse that overcomes her when she or anyone she loves is in danger. She becomes a Berserker—an elegant, graceful and shameless killer.

When she kills three men attacking their father, Hanne and her siblings must flee Norway and head to the American frontier, on a desperate search for their uncle, the one man who can help Hanne learn to control her powers.

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their ancient powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

A gripping and emotional story filled with adventure, destruction, longing and redemption.

I’ve decided that if I want an action adventure read with very light romance, I am going to pick up something by Emmy Laybourne. Berserker is Laybourne’s historical fiction with a supernatural twist. Set in 1883 this is a story of Norse siblings who immigrate to America after a horrific incident. Meanwhile, it’s also the story of a young man named Owen who is the bastard son of a big shot rancher. Owen is trying to make his own way into the world on his own merits. The two storylines intertwine into a plot that is engaging and quickly moving.

Hanne is a Berserker, meaning that she has this power granted to her by the Norse gods to go into a killing frenzy to protect those she loves. This is fine, except that when her father is killed, she ends up also killing three men to protect her family who has to run to America. There, they hope to find Hanne’s uncle and learn how to control the Nytte which is what the power is called (each of her siblings except the youngest, Sissel, has a form of Nytte that has manifested). Anyways, there are also two men who happen to be trailing Hanne and her siblings and their intentions are not quite clear. Regardless, Owen ends up guiding Hanne and her family through the wilderness.

So, I am really jazzed at how much I enjoyed Berserker. When I saw the small print, I was like ah goddamn it, this is going to take forever to read. Then I just breezed through it in like a day. I ended up deciding that I want to check out the second book, about Sissel asap. On the whole, Laybourne rights a compelling book with a plot and concept that came out of left field for me. Definitely would recommend if you like books about girls who kick literal ass.

Mini YA ReviewsInk and Bone by Rachel Caine
Published by Penguin on July 7, 2015
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Books & Libraries, Dystopian
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780698180819
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.…

For some reason I have been putting off Ink And Bone by Rachel Caine. It is the first book of the Great Library series. The idea of it appealed to me, but it was just never at the top of my reading list. That is, until I was browsing the library and was all, hey here’s a physical copy even though I have an eARC on my Kindle from Netgalley. Let’s just borrow this book too. And y’all, having that physical reminder staring me in the face gave me the motivation to finally, FINALLY read Ink And Bone. I am so glad. I loved it.

So, Ink And Bone is one of those books about books, well, a lot of books. In this world, it is kind of a dystopia a little bit. It posits what would happen if the library at Alexandria had never burned. So, the book opens with Jess who is from a family of book smugglers. You see, in this world, it is illegal to own your own books. Instead, every town has a Library and every person has what is called a Codex. The Library is pretty much in charge. So, anyways, Jess ends up going to train to be a Librarian and be an inside man for his family. That is really kind of barebones in explaining this book.

What we get is this very fast paced book. We see Jess acclimate to the library and his training. It reminded me a little tiny bit of Harry Potter in a way. And so, there’s only six spots from Jess’s class that get to go on to work for the Library and Jess is determined to have one of those spots. Meanwhile, there’s other things going on like war and such. So, yeah, there’s not very many dull moments. I think if you’re into a book that moves fast and just drops you right into the action, you will end up really liking Ink And Bone. For me personally, I plan to continue on reading the rest of the series. Hopefully the other books live up to these expectations that I now have after reading Ink And Bone.

You would think a book about books would be a total win but I really struggled with Ink and Bone. I've tried reading this book several times over the years and really wanted to love it. The idea of an alternate history where the Library of Alexandria survived (THE DREAM) and you can be chosen to help protect its works sounds like the best job ever. But the execution of the story just wasn't working for me.

I was never really grounded in the time of the story. We know it's an alternate history from ours so things are going to obviously change. I got an ALMOST steampunk vibe but not enough that I'd actually call it that. And so I was just kind of confused the whole time and never grounded in the world, or story for that matter.

The protagonist, Jess, didn't have a perspective on the story that I really cared about. For the most part, he seemed far less interesting than the other students, each of which had far more interesting secrets going on in the background. So I lost interest on the character side of things too.

Plus, this magic system was just. . . well I didn't understand any of it. The entirety of the world of Ink and Bone came off as a jumble of details rather than concrete building blocks that shaped the reader's experience through the story. Surface level, as it were. Maybe this was intentional with the expectation that everything will be explained in a later book, but that requires wanting to read the next one.

I will say that I tried this on audiobook after struggling with the eBook and neither worked well for me, which makes me think the book itself was a bad fit. The narrator wasn't terrible or anything, so I would recommend the audio if you like the story itself. That's where I had issues. I have no clue if I'll ever pick up the rest of the series but they're not high on my list.

I read Rachel Caine's Morganville vampire series when I was in college, many years ago. It was during the vampire book craze and found her take on the genre to be extremely unique. I somehow missed the announcement of her releasing Ink and Bone. I remember seeing this book around and thinking the cover looked cool and never connected that it was the same author. Once I connected the two I was really excited to start this series. So when the opportunity to grab in through #NetGalley popped up, I took it! Then it of course got buried in my infinite TBR. I fiiiiinally sat down to read it and just like her vampire series, Rachel has created another very unique story. I found parts of this one a little creepy but the overall plot had me intrigued and captivated from start to finish. What would you do if books and reading were illegal?! Would you join the forces to protect them?

Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title, and the fact that the title has been archived. I have attempted to read this book on numerous occasions, and did not finish every time.

DNF

There's nothing in particular that I didn't like about this book, it's just a case of I didn't click with it. My "first impression" wasn't compelling, I didn't feel the need to to keep reading.

PS Apologies for the late feedback, life's been busy and I'm just finding the time transcribing my reviews here.

3.5 stars Decent diversity representation though I hope to see more depth added in the later books; fascinating story that kept me up much too late trying to finish the story; lots of action and some twists. I enjoyed the story and am burning, hah!, to see what happens next.

A fantasy novel where the main focus is librarians in a world where the library runs the world? And that library is the Great Library of Alexandria? Moth meet flame. I admittedly paid little attention to this when it first came out. I have read some of Caine's previous work and while I enjoyed it, I don't think I was blown away by it. But when the publisher was kind enough to offer them to me I decided to check them out and see if it was something I would enjoy, and holy crap I should have paid attention sooner! I adore anything Alexandria related. It's my historical sore spot...meaning, that yes I do get personally upset that it burned down despite it happening hundreds of years ago. I would love to see a world in which is survived, and this novel does just that but it is a doozy!

Jess Brightwell has spent his early life running books for the illegal book smuggling ring and avoiding the official libraries at all cost despite loving books in a way that is a detriment to his current life. So when he is set to go to Alexandria to try and become a librarian, he thinks he may have finally escaped the harsh reality of smuggling, burners, and ink lickers but things are far from what they seem in Alexandria. This book has such ominous tones to it! The first chapter shows right away the terrifying power of the Library and how that power can be indifferent to those around them. Knowledge comes first, and those that disrupt that knowledge or seek to spread it out of the Library's control are enemy number one. It's odd to think of the library as a place that can have negative impacts on the world, or as a place only interested in preserving & squirreling away knowledge, but that's exactly how the Great Library is. It's ruthless in its quest for all the knowledge the world has to offer, making book ownership illegal and knowledge highly controlled. Despite all of this I have to admit the Library has some incredibly cool aspects to it. I love that it has automatons and that they have their own alchemy based magic, bringing a bit more spice to an already rich world. The plot is one of a deliberate and slow-burn pace, which works in the story's favor as it gives Caine plenty of time to develop the world around Jess.

Jess is such a great main character as well. He is a book lover at heart and a bit of jack of all trades, master of none type of character, but he's incredibly clever. I do think that the side characters shine a little brighter than Jess though. Thomas is probably my favorite though, with his gentle giant kind of personality. I loved the odd way the Library chooses its librarians, and how it gives each character time to shine in an unexpected way. From being able to recite events of the past, to finding hidden caches of books and avoiding extremely dangerous traps.

I'm so happy I finally got around to checking this one out! I can't wait to see how things develop after the ending of this one with Jess and the others, especially since things really ramped up towards the end in a few unexpected ways.

This is an amazing book about the inherent power of books and knowledge, and the lengths to which people will go to control or contain that power. In an alternate world in which the Great Library, in a beautifully described Alexandria, still exists to act as a repository of the written word. The Library ruthlessly controls and governs the flow of information and is now represented in every major city. The practice of alchemy allows the contents of history's greatest works to be shared, but books themselves can never be owned.

Jess is among the teenagers trained in Alchemy to be of service to the library. He appreciates the value of information and knowledge, but questions the impassive, tight-fisted control maintained by the Leaders of the Library. He struggles with the rivalries and friendships that are inevitably complicated by the intense competition among students to become scholars. But, like any place of power, the Library teems with secrets and hidden agendas. Nothing can be taken at face value, and it is possible that no one is who seem to be. Including Jess. His family deals in the black market book trade, and he is the family's spy at the Great Library.

At heart, this is a story about books -- the love of them, what they represent, and the very real power of what they offer. Human intrigue, relationships, politics, and sheer belief are at the heart of this highly entertaining read. Look out for Book #2 and #3!

I really enjoyed this fantasy/alternate reality romp about the all-seeing, all-knowing Great Library of Alexandria. The characters were funny and fresh, and the plot line was well paced and interesting. I plan on continuing the series soon!

For a variety of reasons, this one took me a REALLY long time to read. That usually means I don't like it and have to talk myself into finishing it, but this was actually very good. Unfortunately, since it was read over such a long period of time, I don't feel like I can review it very well. Suffice it to say, it was exciting and interesting. And I wish someone would just tell me how it all wraps up in book 3.

I really enjoyed this book. It was action packed, had well-developed characters, and definitely drew the reader into the world that the author created. As the character moved from one conflict to the next, I found it harder and harder to put the book down. The only issue I had was that the main tenant the book was based on, that of the "obscurists" and their methods of transferring and copying books wasn't really explained that well. So I had a hard time understanding that and it kind of took away from really being able to dive in and enjoy those parts of the book. But despite that, I would definitely read the next books in the series. It was a great read.

I just don't have any strong feelings about this book. Pretty meh. Some of it was confusing or went over my head, other parts were boring. The parts that were good were really good though. Interesting world. Great diverse characters, though I didn't feel like I connected with any of them really. Liked that the romance wasn't a focus, but that made it seem not so authentic when it did come around. I don't know. It was enjoyable enough, I am a teensy bit curious to see where the series goes but not curious enough to actually continue it. I'm not mad I read it. It might have been a case of it's not you it's me, or wrong book wrong time kind of thing.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a unbiased review. This book is absolutely amazing. I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. The characters and plot pull you in and don't let go. I can't wait for the next book!