Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It is shocking that an author has not previously written about the critical importance and value of books and libraries and made it the turning point of a novel. Thank goodness Rachel Caine did–this book is a joy!
It occupies an alternate history where the Library of Alexandria never burned but instead became the most powerful organization in the world, a storehouse of all knowledge. Even the printing press is not invented, replaced instead by the steampunkish magic of the Oculists, which allows the library total control of ALL reading material. Knowledge is power, literally, and those who hold the power of the library will go to great lengths to keep it.
I literally couldn’t put this book down. It reminds me, for a bit, of the spellbinding adrenaline I got from the Harry Potter series. But it’s also a completely different book, more brutal with readers’ feelings from the get-go. There are so many twists here and you’ll never see them coming.
Caine should be particularly proud of herself for writing a fiction novel that embraces diversity. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Muslim character in a novel before; it was refreshing and interesting. Because of the conceit that the Library is everywhere, the characters could also be from everywhere, and Caine gave them a richness comparable to attending a world market.
This book was so much fun that I’m sad I’m done with it. I put off this review because I wanted to stay in that world longer, even just in my head! But now it’s time to buy the sequel…
M.E. Kinkade 